India on Thursday indefinitely closed all of its visa application centres in Bangladesh amid the political unrest there.
On Monday, Sheikh Hasina resigned as the country’s prime minister and fled to India amid widespread protests against her Awami League-led government. The country has reported incidents of violence ahead of the formation of an interim government.
“All IVACs [Indian Visa Application Centres] will remain closed till further notice, due to the unstable situation,” read a statement on the Indian visa website for Bangladesh. “Next application date will be informed through SMS and It is requested to pick up the passport on the next working day.”
This came a day after reports said that non-essential staffers at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka have voluntarily returned to India with their families.
The High Commission remained functional with Indian diplomats operating out of the facility, PTI had quoted unidentified officials as saying on Wednesday. Besides Dhaka, India has assistant high commissions in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna and Sylhet.
On Tuesday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the situation in Bangladesh was still evolving and that the Indian government is in touch with its citizens there.
Jaishankar told Parliament that concerns about the recent “violence and instability” in Bangladesh were shared across the political spectrum. He added that Delhi had been in “regular touch with the authorities” in Dhaka.
Also read:
- After Hasina’s fall, Hindus in Bangladesh on edge
- Bangladesh: Why there must be caution in understanding the violence against Hindus
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