India Halts Visa Services in Chattogram Following Unrest Triggered by Sharif Osman Hadi’s Death and Assaults on Indian Diplomatic Mission in Bangladesh

On December 21, India suspended visa operations at its mission in the Bangladeshi port city of Chattogram until further notice, as reported by various media outlets. This decision follows a new surge of unrest in the country triggered by the death of notable youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi.

The incident has led to attacks and vandalism throughout Bangladesh, including stone-throwing at the residence of the Assistant Indian High Commissioner in Chattogram on Thursday.

Hadi, a leading figure in last year’s student-led protests that resulted in the ousting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government, was a candidate for the upcoming general elections scheduled for February 12.
He was shot in the head on December 12 by masked assailants during an election campaign in central Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area and succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment in Singapore on December 18.

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“Due to the recent security incident at the Assistant High Commission of India (AHCI) Chittagong, Indian visa operations at IVAC Chittagong (Chattogram) will remain suspended from 21/12/2025 until further notice,” the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) stated in a brief announcement.

The reopening of the visa center will be communicated after an assessment of the situation, the statement noted. This decision took effect on Sunday.

There are five IVAC centers in Bangladesh located in Dhaka, Khulna, Rajshahi, Chattogram, and Sylhet. An IVAC representative informed PTI that the other four offices continued to operate as of Sunday.

On Thursday, India resumed operations at its visa application center in Dhaka, a day after it had closed due to rising security concerns. However, two other similar centers in Rajshahi and Khulna were briefly closed as anti-India protesters attempted to march towards the Indian missions there.

Security was heightened on Saturday at the Indian Assistant High Commission office and the visa application center in Sylhet city, Bangladesh.

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Enhanced security measures were implemented to prevent any potential exploitation of the situation, as stated by Saiful Islam, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media) of the Sylhet Metropolitan Police, as reported by The Dhaka Tribune on Saturday.

Hadi, 32, was laid to rest on Saturday under tight security near the grave of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam beside the Dhaka University mosque.

Tens of thousands attended the funeral prayers, chanting anti-India slogans such as “Delhi or Dhaka – Dhaka, Dhaka” and “brother Hadi’s blood will not be allowed to go in vain.” Earlier, on December 17, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned Bangladesh envoy Riaz Hamidullah to express its strong concerns regarding certain extremist elements’ plans to create turmoil around the Indian mission in Dhaka.

“We expect the interim government to ensure the safety of Missions and Posts in Bangladesh in accordance with its diplomatic obligations,” it stated.

The envoy was informed of India’s serious apprehensions regarding the deteriorating security situation in Bangladesh, it added.

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