Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign and flee Bangladesh amid violent protests
New Delhi:
All Indian visa application centers in Bangladesh will remain closed until further notice after unrest in the neighboring country forced Sheikh Hasina to resign as prime minister and flee the country. The online portal for Indian visa application now carries the message: “All IVACs will remain closed until further notice due to the unstable situation. The next application date will be informed by SMS and the passport is requested to be collected on the next business day.”
This comes a day after New Delhi evacuated non-essential staff and their families from the High Commission and consulates in Bangladesh amid the volatile situation in the country. Indian diplomats, however, remain in the country and missions are functional, government sources said.
India has a high commission in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, and consulates in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna and Sylhet.
Massive protests against the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh forced the 76-year-old leader to resign as prime minister and flee to India.
An interim government supported by the Army is in the process of being formed. Nobel Peace Prize winner and Grameen Bank founder Muhammad Yunus will lead the interim government.
Addressing Parliament on the situation in the neighborhood, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that there are around 19,000 Indian citizens in Bangladesh, of which 9,000 are students. Many of the students, he said, returned to India after the protests began. He said the government is in close touch with the Indian community there. He also said that the government is monitoring the situation of minorities living in Bangladesh.
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