Bangladesh has suspended all consular and visa services at its High Commission in New Delhi and its Assistant High Commission in Agartala, citing "unavoidable circumstances" in response to what it calls an "unjustifiable" protest outside its diplomatic mission. The move marks a significant escalation in tensions between the two neighbours, driven by renewed anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh and New Delhi's continued sheltering of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The immediate trigger was a demonstration outside the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi on Saturday. The protest, organized by a group called the Akhand Hindu Rashtra Sena, was against the recent lynching of a Hindu man, Dipu Chandra Das, in Bangladesh. While India's Ministry of External Affairs described the gathering as a protest against a "horrendous killing" and dismissed concerns as "misleading propaganda," Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry strongly rejected this characterization. Dhaka asserted that "miscreants were allowed to carry out their activities right outside the perimeters of the HC, creating panic among the personnel inside the complex". This fundamental disagreement over the nature of the protest shows the severe breakdown in trust.
The diplomatic standoff cannot be separated from the profound political upheaval in Bangladesh. Relations have been at an all-time low since the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024. The recent fatal shooting of prominent student leader Sharif Osman Hadi, a key figure in the movement that overthrew Hasina, has exacerbated these strains. Hadi was an outspoken critic of Indian influence in Bangladeshi politics, and following his death, violent protests erupted across Bangladesh. Mobs attacked the Indian Assistant High Commission in Chittagong and set fire to newspaper offices in Dhaka perceived as pro-India. A prevalent theory among protesters, is that Hadi's assassins have fled to India, a claim that has further inflamed public sentiment against New Delhi.
Complicating matters further is the presence of Sheikh Hasina in India. Having fled Bangladesh during the 2024 uprising, she was later convicted in absentia of crimes against humanity related to her government's violent crackdown on protesters and sentenced to death. Bangladesh's interim government has sought her extradition, but India has shown no inclination to comply, creating a major diplomatic impasse. For many in Bangladesh, India's protection of Hasina is seen as direct interference and support for an authoritarian leader accused of severe human rights violations.
The suspension of services is reciprocal. Last week, India temporarily shut its visa application centre in Chattogram after protests there. These actions signal a rapid deterioration in the relationship. Under Hasina, Bangladesh was a neighbour that reliably aligned its interests with India's. Now, analysts note the interim government under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus is actively seeking to "de-Indianise" Bangladesh's foreign policy, reaching out to other powers and reconsidering Indian-led projects. With public sentiment in Bangladesh turning sharply against India.