All Indian visa application centres in violence-hit Bangladesh will remain closed till further notice due to the “volatile situation”. Sheikh Hasina was forced to resign as Prime Minister due to massive protests And fled to India earlier this week.
The Indian Visa Application Centre has informed applicants on its website that the next date will be communicated through SMS and passports should be collected on the next working day.
The notice said, “Due to the unstable situation, all India Visa Application Centres will remain closed till further notice. The next application date will be informed through SMS and passports are requested to be collected on the next working day.”
This announcement was made at the following time. India evacuates 190 non-essential workers and their family members Sources said all diplomats were called back from the Indian High Commission in Dhaka following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led government on Monday. However, sources said all diplomats are in Bangladesh and the mission is functioning.
Apart from the High Commission in Dhaka, India also has assistant high commissions or consulates in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna and Sylhet.
In June, protests began, led mainly by students, against a controversial job quota system that provided 30 percent reservation for the families of veterans who fought in the 1971 Liberation War. These protests were initially peaceful, but turned violent after police cracked down on protesters.
The protests then spiraled into a mass movement against Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule, demanding the 76-year-old leader’s resignation. Despite Sheikh Hasina resigning and leaving Bangladesh for India with her sister on Monday, the unrest continues with hundreds of people leaving. Hindu houses, business establishments and temples are being vandalized and looted.
On Thursday, a Army-backed interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus Yunus is set to be sworn in amid violent protests. Yunus was chosen by the students as the chief advisor to lead the interim government.
Meanwhile, sources told India Today TV that the Indian government is working on ensuring asylum for Sheikh Hasina in a European country.
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