The Bangladesh Mission in Kolkata has reportedly restricted its visa services for Indian nationals amid rising tensions between the two countries.

However, mission officials have not made any official statement in this regard.

Meanwhile, visa applicants have expressed dissatisfaction over the situation, with many reporting difficulty in obtaining their desired visas. 

According to sources, this move might be in response to India's High Commission in Dhaka restricting the issuance of Indian visas to Bangladeshi nationals, hinting at a reciprocal action.

The restrictions follow an attack on the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala, Tripura, on December 2. 

Earlier, a Hindu nationalist group stormed the mission, vandalized property, and desecrated Bangladesh’s national flag, allegedly in reaction to communal narratives propagated in Indian media concerning Bangladesh. Protesters also targeted the missions in Mumbai and Kolkata, displaying similar acts of flag desecration.

Bangladesh strongly condemned the Agartala attack, demanding a thorough investigation and punishment for those responsible. 

Later, Dhaka summoned Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma to express its concerns, and India later issued a statement of regret over the incident.

Citing security concerns, Bangladesh indefinitely suspended consular services at its Agartala mission and recalled senior officials from both Agartala and Kolkata missions to Dhaka for consultations.

Meanwhile, Indian nationals have reported challenges in obtaining Bangladeshi visas. Sarfaraz, a representative of a visa processing center, attributed the disruption to technical issues, such as server problems and slot unavailability.

Sukumar Sarkar, a regular visitor to Bangladesh, noted that earlier, visas were issued promptly as per schedule, but now he was informed that his name was not listed for the slot. 

Uma Haldar, whose daughter is married in Faridpur, failed to submit her application due to unavailable slots. 

Garment trader Bunty also faced difficulties, expressing concerns about his inability to source winter garments from Bangladesh during the peak season.

Data shows the mission in Kolkata typically processes 450-500 visas daily. However, in recent days, fewer than 300 visas were issued per day, with only 75 visas granted on Friday.

BDST: 2024 HRS, DEC 06, 2024
MSK