Indian visa applications suspended indefinitely in Bangladesh’s Chittagong

India has suspended visa operations at its Chittagong centre in Bangladesh following heightened tensions after student leader Sharif Osman Hadi’s death, amid attacks on Indian missions and large-scale protests, with operations to resume only after a security review

Dhaka: India on Sunday suspended visa operations at the Indian Visa Application Centre in the Bangladesh’s second-largest city Chittagong until further notice in the wake of heightened tensions following the death of prominent youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi, local media reported.

Hadi, a prominent leader of the student-led protests last year that led to the ouster of the prime minister Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government, was a candidate for the scheduled February 12 general elections.

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He was shot in the head on December 12 by masked gunmen at an election campaign in central Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area. He died while undergoing treatment in Singapore on Thursday.

His death triggered attacks and vandalism across Bangladesh, including stone-hurling at the Assistant Indian High Commissioner’s residence in Chattogram on Thursday.

Indian visa applications in Chittagong have been suspended indefinitely, the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) was quoted as saying by The Dhaka Tribune newspaper on Sunday.

The decision came into effect on Sunday following a recent security incident at the Assistant High Commission of India in Chittagong.

According to the IVAC, all Indian visa-related services in the port city will remain closed from December 21 until further notice.

The statement added that a further announcement will be made regarding the reopening of the visa application centre after a review of the security situation.

On December 20, security was strengthened at the Indian Assistant High Commission office and the visa application centre in Bangladesh’s Sylhet city.

The enhanced security measures were put in place to ensure that “no third party can exploit the situation”, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media) of the Sylhet Metropolitan Police Saiful Islam was quoted as saying by The Dhaka Tribune newspaper on Saturday.

Hadi, 32, was laid to rest on Saturday amid extra-tight security beside the grave of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam near the Dhaka University mosque.

Tens of thousands of people attended the funeral prayers, and ahead of the ritual, they chanted anti-India slogans like “Delhi or Dhaka – Dhaka, Dhaka” and “brother Hadi’s blood will not be allowed to go in vain”.