Video Shows How Stone-Pelting Mob Forced Closure Of Indian High Commission In Chittagong

Last Updated:December 21, 2025, 20:12 IST

Indian Visa Centre in Chattogram shuts down after protests over Sharif Osman Hadi’s death; unrest and security concerns affect other missions too.

Indian Visa Centre in Chattogram shuts down after protests over Sharif Osman Hadi’s death; unrest and security concerns affect other missions too.

The Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) in Chattogram (Chittagong), Bangladesh, has suspended operations indefinitely amid rising security concerns after violent protests outside the Indian Assistant High Commission, local authorities, and media reports said.

The move, announced on Sunday, follows days of unrest across Bangladesh after the death of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent activist whose killing has sparked widespread demonstrations and clashes with police.

Protesters had gathered outside the Indian mission in Khulshi, Chattogram, on December 18–19, shouting slogans and expressing anger over Hadi’s death. According to police accounts, the crowd hurled bricks and vandalised parts of the office premises, prompting a forceful response from law enforcement. At least four people were injured, including two police personnel, in the clashes.

Local media reported that police intervened to disperse demonstrators, resulting in a chase between protesters and law enforcement officers. Twelve people were detained at the scene and were expected to be booked under anti-terror laws, police said.

Security around the Indian mission was significantly increased following the unrest, with additional police and Army personnel deployed to maintain order.

In its statement, the IVAC Bangladesh said visa operations in Chattogram will remain suspended “until further notice" in view of the recent security incident near the mission, and reopening will depend on a review of the situation on the ground.

The suspension adds to a series of closures affecting Indian diplomatic facilities in Bangladesh. Earlier this week, visa centres in Rajshahi and Khulna were temporarily shut as protests also targeted those missions, and authorities were forced to enhance protection for diplomatic staff.

The unrest in Bangladesh has been framed by some political groups as a response to Hadi’s death, which they blame on India without providing substantial evidence. With anti-India and anti-Awami League slogans reported at demonstrations outside the mission. Police moved quickly to push back those at the gates, maintaining a presence to prevent protesters from reaching the compound itself.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has meanwhile dismissed certain media reports from Dhaka about protests outside diplomatic missions as “misleading propaganda," insisting that there was no breach of security at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi when a small group staged a protest there.

The suspension of visa services in Chattogram reflects growing tensions in bilateral relations amid ongoing domestic unrest in Bangladesh, where protesters have also clashed with authorities in other cities and called for accountability over political killings and security lapses. 

News world Video Shows How Stone-Pelting Mob Forced Closure Of Indian High Commission In Chittagong

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