India has sought enhanced security from Bangladesh after a group of people held a demonstration inside the India visa centre in Dhaka on Monday raising anti-India slogans.
The Indian high commission in Dhaka has taken up the matter with the Ministry of foreign affairs in Dhaka with a diplomatic note, a diplomatic source told TOI.
Although there was no vandalism or physical assault, the staff at the visa center were shaken and felt threatened, which made it challenging for them to operate, even with reduced services.
Police said people were there to collect passports but suddenly staged a brief demonstration at Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) in Dhaka after being told that processing of their applications, with the high commission having to work with a skeletal staff, was going to take time. Police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control, said an official.
Many videos went viral on social media showing people seeking India visas raising anti-India slogans. “Indian collaborators, beware... One point, one demand — we want a visa,” the group could be heard chanting.
The unruly scenes put pressure on high commission personnel, who have already been under stress since efforts by a group of students and political parties to stir anti-India feelings, to dial foreign ministry. On Aug 22, Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma expressed concerns regarding the safety and security of Indian establishments in Bangladesh, including its high commission in Dhaka.
“You know, we are working with limited staff members. Some of the local staff members are yet to join. It’s not violent. But there was a crowd today as many rushed to collect their passports,” an official told TOI wishing to remain unnamed. Sources said there was no proposal to pull out more staff from the country as of now.
IVAC Bangladesh earlier said due to limited operations, the visa process may take longer. “Hence, we are returning passports now and it will be re-processed once operations resume. The applicant will be notified via SMS to re-submit his/her passport,” the centre said.
India has the largest visa operations in Bangladesh and 16 lakh people visited India last year. Of them, 60% visited for tourism purposes, 30% for medical purposes and 10% for other purposes.
Source : https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/latest-updates/protesters-disrupt-india-visa-centre-in-dhaka/articleshow/112824956.cms
