MEA summons Bangladesh High Commissioner, demands adequate security to its mission in Dhaka

INDIA CLOSES VISA CENTRE IN DHAKA DUE TO SECURITY SITUATION

- SIMONTINI BHATTACHARJEE

India summoned Bangladesh's High Commissioner Riaz Hamidullah on Wednesday and issued a formal diplomatic protest over a deteriorating security environment in Dhaka, where extremist groups have announced plans to stage demonstrations around the Indian mission. The move came on a day when the Indian Visa Application Centre in the Bangladeshi capital closed its main facility at Jamuna Future Park at 2 pm citing the same security concerns.

Officials said Hamidullah was called to the Ministry of External Affairs and handed a demarche outlining New Delhi's objections to what it described as rising threats from extremist elements. According to the ministry, these groups have publicly declared their intention to create a security situation targeting Indian establishments ahead of Bangladesh's parliamentary elections scheduled for February 12.