Anti-India protest at IVAC in Dhaka prompts Indian officials to seek enhanced security

A large number of Bangladeshis including students held protest demonstrations amid anti-India slogans and created an uproar at the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) in Dhaka on Aug 26 for alleged delays by authorities in processing their applications.

The protestors claimed that they failed to receive their visas even after waiting for months.

India demanded enhanced security from Bangladesh after the incident which triggered panic among the IVAC staff members amid the ongoing political turmoil in the country making it difficult for them to continue work even with limited staff.

The Indian high commission in Dhaka has expressed serious concerns over the incident and has taken up the matter with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka.

"We have taken up the matter with the MoFA. We have conveyed our concerns and demanded enhanced security. Such a situation should not happen again," an Indian official at the High Commission said in a statement.

Another Indian High Commission official referring to the incident said they were returning all the passports keeping their applications alive so that once all the staff returns to work, the applicants can submit their passports again.

"We were returning those passports without rejecting their applications. Many applicants were asking to return their passports,," he said, according to Bangladesh’s Daily Star.

The Indian High Commission has already cleared pending medical visas, the official added.

The attacks on minorities may have declined significantly in Bangladesh in the past few weeks but members of the minority communities including Hindus are reportedly facing new challenges like resignations of employees allegedly secured under coercion, threats to leave the country, and rampant extortion, according to media reports.

'Delay triggers protest’

The applicants had visited the IVAC to collect passports but staged the demonstration after being told that processing of their applications with high commission would take time due to limited staff available at the IVAC. Police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control, according to media reports.

Several videos on social media showed angry visa applicants raising anti-India slogans and causing disruption over delays in obtaining visas.

Bangladeshis prefer visiting India mostly to seek better medical facilities and pursue education. Notably, India's healthcare system offers specialized treatments, surgeries, and treatment at a relatively affordable cost compared to other countries.

India is a preferred destination for Bangladeshi students pursuing higher education. Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma on Aug 22 expressed concerns regarding the safety and security of Indian establishments in Bangladesh, including its high commission in Dhaka.

IVAC in Dhaka resumed "limited operations" earlier this month, after weeks-long violent clashes led to the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led government. Hasina, 76, resigned and fled to India after facing nationwide anger over the controversial job quota system.

India has the largest visa operations in Bangladesh. At least 16 lakh people visited India last year. Of them, 60% visited for tourism purposes, 30% to seek medical facilities, and 10% for other purposes.