India-Bangladesh relations have worsened over the past week as protests erupted outside diplomatic missions in both countries, prompting security concerns and diplomatic exchanges. The tensions come against the backdrop of political instability in Bangladesh following the exile of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi.
Both countries have summoned each other’s envoys, while visa application centres in parts of Bangladesh and India have been temporarily shut following protest activity near high commissions.
In Dhaka, police last week stopped a group of protesters marching towards the Indian High Commission in the Gulshan area. In Delhi, protests were held outside the Bangladesh High Commission, led by several groups including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, citing alleged attacks on minorities in Bangladesh.
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Killing of student leader sparks unrest
The immediate cause of the latest turmoil in Bangladesh was the death of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi, who was affiliated with the student platform Inqilab Mancha. He was gunned down by masked men when he was leaving a mosque in the capital, Dhaka, on December 12 and died due to his injuries in Singapore on December 18.
Hadi was known as one of the popular figures of the pro-democracy movement of the previous year, which reached its climax when Hasina resigned and left the country. His death sparked massive protests, vandalism, and arson attacks on the offices of the media houses.
Lynching of Hindu man adds to diplomatic strain
During these protests, a Hindu employee, Dipu Chandra Das, was beaten to death by a mob in Dhaka and Mymensingh along the highway in the early hours of December 18. The attackers tied him to a tree and set his body ablaze.
Although there were initial reports about the incident being connected to an alleged religious insult, the police and the family later confirmed that the violence was the result of a dispute in the workplace. This incident enraged the Indian people and was one of the factors associated with the protests outside the Bangladeshi missions.
On the 21st of December, India formally conveyed its concern over what it called a “horrendous killing” as the Ministry for External Affairs confirmed it was monitoring developments in Bangladesh.
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Aftermath of the diplomatic fallout
The unrest soon translated into diplomatic action. On December 20, a gathering of protestors near the Bangladesh mission in New Delhi was chased away by police. The next day, the India visa application center in Chattogram was shut down indefinitely because of security reasons.
Protests also occurred at the Bangladesh Visa Centre, located in the city of Siliguri, on December 22, leading Bangladesh to suspend visa services not only there but also in Delhi. Such suspensions also occurred at the assistant high commission of Bangladesh in Tripura.
On December 23, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called in India’s envoy due to security concerns about Bangladeshi missions in India in response to instances of vandalism and protests there.
Security and political undercurrents
The diplomatic tension is also being fueled by statements from Bangladesh political leaders that are controversial in nature. Last week, student leader and member of the NCP, Hasnat Abdullah, said that Bangladesh could shelter separatist forces and potentially disrupt India’s northeastern states, comments that drew strong reactions from New Delhi.
India subsequently summoned the High Commissioner of Bangladesh to register India’s protest over what India perceived as the growing security environment and threats to Indian diplomats in Dhaka.
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What lies ahead
With the ongoing protests, suspension of visa services in different places, and heightened alertness among both governments, relations between India and Bangladesh remain strained. It is clear that security and welfare of citizens will be among the main concerns of both governments during the coming days.
