Bangladesh Assistant High Commission shuts down visa, consular services at Agartala after mob breach

The decision comes shortly after the incident on Monday, when a mob breached the security barricade, vandalised the property, and removed the Bangladeshi national flag.

Security was ramped up at the premises in Agartala, as well as in front of the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi and their respective Deputy and Assistant High Commission premises in other parts of the country.

In a notice issued Tuesday afternoon, Bangladesh Assistant High Commission head and first secretary Md Al Amin said, “Given the security situation, all visa and consular services at the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission, Agartala will remain suspended until further notice. This comes into effect immediately. This is for intimation of all the Visa and Consular service seekers”.

While the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) expressed “regret” over the incident, the Bangladesh government took strong note of the incident, saying they “deeply resented” it and claimed that accounts received by them “conclusively attest” that the protesters were allowed to aggress into the premises in a planned manner.

A statement issued by the Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Ministry stated that all members of the Assistant High Commission at Agartala were left with a deep sense of insecurity after the “heinous attack”. It also claimed that it was a part of a pattern further to a “similar violent demonstration” in Kolkata on November 28.

“This particular act in Agartala stands in violation of the inviolability of diplomatic missions, as the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961, asks for,” said the Bangladesh government.

The Bangladesh government said in its statement on Monday that it is the responsibility of the host government to protect diplomatic missions from any form of intrusion or damage. It called on the Government of India to take immediate action and undertake a thorough investigation into the incident.

In Agartala, the police said further investigation is underway to find if anyone else was involved in the attack. Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha condemned the incident, and said that while democratic protests may be held, any incident of “this type” is entirely undesired.