Bangladesh closes visa centres in Siliguri, Agartala

Bangladesh has temporarily closed its visa centre in Siliguri, West Bengal, following vandalism by members of several Hindutva organisations during a protest alleging attacks on the Hindu community in Bangladesh.

Diplomatic sources in Delhi and Kolkata said members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Hindu Jagran Manch and Siliguri Mahanagar Sangathan vandalised the Bangladesh visa centre in Siliguri on Monday, forcing its closure.

For several years, the Siliguri visa centre has been operated by a private service provider, DU Digital, under contract with the Bangladesh authorities, diplomatic sources said.

According to officials, around 300 protesters gathered at Bagha Jatin Park in Siliguri before marching to the Bangladesh visa centre, where they surrounded the office and staged a demonstration. During the protest, the demonstrators demanded an end to what they described as persecution of minority Hindus in Bangladesh, sought justice for the killing of Dipu Das, and called for punishment of those responsible.

At one stage, a five-member delegation from the protesters entered the visa centre and spoke with officials, urging them to keep the office closed as a mark of protest.

Local media quoted a member of the delegation as telling the service provider not to reopen the office and to remove Bangladesh visa-related signage. The protesters later said they would convey their concerns to both the central and state governments in India and reiterated their call for Indians not to travel to or conduct business with Bangladesh.

In a related development, the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala of Tripura has also suspended visa and consular services, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka confirmed.

Following the incident, the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Kolkata sent a diplomatic note to the local office of India’s Ministry of External Affairs, requesting strengthened security for the Siliguri visa centre.

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi has suspended all consular services and visa issuance until further notice, Foreign Ministry officials said.