Indian visa centres in Dhaka, Sathkira shut day after protests over delays

An X user posted a video from the Indian Visa Centre at Jamuna Mall in Dhaka, showing long queues on Monday. The user attributed the delays to a shortage of staff at the Centre.

“Majority of the staff went back to India, and the Embassy is running with limited capacity. They don’t have manpower,” the user wrote.

According to a report by The Daily Star, the protests broke out on Monday as people demanded that their passports be returned. An Indian High Commission official quoted in the report said that the passports were being returned as requested while the applications were being kept alive so that they can be processed once full capacity is restored.

The official added that the staff at the visa centre felt “harassed” and “threatened”. “We have taken up this with the MoFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs). We have sent the note verbale. We need enhanced security. Such a situation should not happen again,” the official was quoted as saying.

Expressing his frustration to the Dhaka Tribune, Rustam Ali, a resident of Satkhira, said: “Getting an Indian visa has become a matter of luck. You can’t apply again unless two months have passed since your last attempt. The application fee is Tk 875, and while the visa is supposed to be issued within 15 days, it often takes 2-3 months, and even then, the visa doesn’t arrive, nor is the passport returned.” Ali emphasised the urgency of his situation, citing the need to travel to India for medical treatment.

Many Bangladeshi citizens seek medical treatment in Indian hospitals. During Sheikh Hasina’s last visit to India in June 2024, Prime Minister Modi announced that India would introduce an e-medical visa facility for Bangladeshi citizens seeking treatment in India.

Meanwhile, the police at Itagacha in Sathkira informed that the passports of the some applicants were returned and they were assured that their concerns will be reported to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka. Police was also deployed to manage the situation at the visa centre, the Dhaka Tribune report said.

Earlier this month, the IVAC had suspended operations following violent clashes in Bangladesh that led to the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Hasina, 76, resigned and fled to India last week amid widespread protests against her Awami League-led government over a controversial job quota system.

On August 13, the IVAC resumed “limited operations” at the Dhaka centre.

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