As violence in Bangladesh escalates, all of the Indian Visa centres in the nation will be shut indefinitely until further notice. The decision by the Indian Visa Application Centre comes citing the "unstable situation" following massive protests which led to the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
On its website, the Indian Visa Application Center advised applicants that they could collect their passports following the announcement regarding the visa date. They said they would communicate about the next date through SMS.
The notice read, "All Indian visa application centres will remain closed till further notice, due to the unstable situation. The next application date will be informed through SMS and it is requested to pick up the passport on the next working day."
The decision follows the evacuation of 190 Indian non-essential staffers and their families posted in the High Commission of Dhaka. Meanwhile, the sources informed that all diplomats work entirely in Bangladesh.
Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna and Sylhet are among the other high commissions/consulates that India has in Bangladesh.
In June, protests primarily driven by students ignited over a contentious job quota system that allocated 30 percent reservations for the families of veterans from the 1971 Liberation War. Initially peaceful, these protests escalated into violence following a police crackdown on demonstrators.
The unrest sparked a large movement against Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule, with demands for the resignation of the 76-year-old leader. Although Sheikh Hasina resigned and left for India on Monday with her sister, chaos persists, as numerous homes and businesses belonging to Hindus, along with temples, have been vandalised and looted.
On Thursday, an interim government supported by the military is set to be sworn in, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, who students chose to serve as its chief advisor.
According to sources, the Indian government is reportedly working to secure asylum for Sheikh Hasina in a European country.