After Dhaka, India has closed two more visa application centres in Bangladesh's Rajshahi and Khulna amid a worsening security situation in the country. The development came a day after a group of radical Islamists, under the banner of "July Oikya", organised a protest march near the Indian High Commission, pressing several demands, including the return of ousted premier Sheikh Hasina.
"In view of the on-going security situation, we wish to bring to your kind notice that IVAC Rajshahi and Khulna will be closed today (18.12.2025). All applicants who have appointment slots booked for submission today will be given a slot at a later date," an official notification on the IVAC website read.
This happened despite Delhi flagging a rise in open hate towards India, especially the Northeast, under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, which seeks to build closer ties with Pakistan at the cost of Bangladesh's historic ties with India.
Dismissing India's concerns, Bangladesh's Foreign Affairs Advisor Touhid Hossain distanced Dhaka from the student leader who publicly threatened to sever India's "seven sisters"—a term used to describe the country's northeastern states-- from India. He also denied the deterioration of the law and order situation, saying, "We have ensured that security is not affected."
On National Citizen Party (NCP) leader Hasnat Abdullah's 'seven sisters' remark, Hossain said, "Hasnat is not a part of the government. If there was a view of the government, I would say it or the government's highest office would say it. This is irrelevant."
Radical elements like Hasnat Abdullah have been given a free hand by the Yunus-led interim government. In an inflammatory remark, the National Citizens Party (NCP) leader has also threatened to kick the Indian High Commissioner out of Bangladesh.
The NCP is an offshoot of the students' protests that toppled former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government last year with support from the Jamaat-E-Islami Bangladesh and its student wing, Chhatra Shibir. While the fledgling party has a very small support base, the NCP has backed Muhammad Yunus as head of Bangladesh's interim government.
On the shutting of the visa application centre in Dhaka on Wednesday, Hossain claimed there was a programme at the visa centre, and it was shut as there is a question of security."
"We have ensured that security is not affected," he claimed, despite radical elements organising anti-India protests in Dhaka.
On India's advice to ensure peaceful elections in Bangladesh, the interim government seems dismissive of India's advice.
"They have shared some advice with us, and I don't think there is a need for them to advise us... This government has been saying from day one at the highest level that we want to create an atmosphere where people can go and cast their vote, which was not there in the last 15 years," Touhid Hossain said.
"Now India is advising us, and I think this is not acceptable at all because they know that for the last fifteen years there was a government with which they had very good ties; when the elections happened, they did not say a word. Now we are moving towards a good election, and they do not need to advise us," Hossain added.
In a statement earlier, India's Ministry of External Affairs had said, "We expect that the interim government of Bangladesh will take all necessary measures for ensuring internal law and order, including for the purpose of holding peaceful elections. The statement highlighted the need for the interim government to hold elections so that Bangladesh can return to a government with an elected mandate.
Even though mainstream political parties have pushed for elections at the earliest, Bangladesh observers have indicated that radical groups that back the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government will try to derail the elections in Bangladesh by creating a law-and-order situation in the country and painting India as the villain without any basis or evidence.
This even as India takes a very measured response to the statements coming out of Bangladesh that directly threaten the sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, especially the northeast. A delay in elections will allow the continuation of the unelected interim government led by Muhammad Yunus for a longer period beyond February.
