Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma was summoned once again to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday, amid rapidly deteriorating bilateral relations between the two neighbouring countries. According to sources, the meeting lasted for around 30 minutes.
According to sources, during the meeting, the interim government of Bangladesh raised allegations of a recent security breach linked to demonstrations near the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi. However, the Indian envoy firmly rejected the allegations, describing them as a “false narrative” being circulated within Bangladesh, and maintained that no such breach had taken place. India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had earlier issued a statement dismissing the claims as baseless.
Multiple diplomatic sources indicate that Bangladesh’s interim government is now seeking to scale down diplomatic engagement with India. On Monday, Bangladesh abruptly shut its visa centres in Delhi, suspending the issuance of visas to Indian citizens until further notice. The Bangladeshi consular office in Agartala has also been closed, with visa services suspended.
Relations between the two countries have sharply worsened following the killing of hardline Islamic leader Osman Hadi in Dhaka and the brutal murder of Hindu youth and labourer Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh. Certain sections in Bangladesh have been propagating claims that India has provided shelter to Hadi’s alleged killers. The interim government has not publicly clarified the veracity of these allegations, further fuelling tensions. India, meanwhile, has expressed strong displeasure over the killing of Dipu Das.
Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Touhid Hossain alleged that the incident in front of the high commission’s office in Delhi compromised the security of High Commissioner Riaz Hamidullah and his family, and constituted a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
India has categorically rejected these allegations. MEA stated that false propaganda was being spread and denied any breach of diplomatic security.
Meanwhile, protests were also held on Monday outside the Bangladeshi visa centre in Siliguri, where demonstrators demanded justice for Das. These developments coincided with Bangladesh’s decision to suspend visa services across several Indian cities.
On Sunday, Hossain hinted that Bangladesh could further limit diplomatic relations with India if necessary, including closing additional consular offices and recalling diplomats.
Notably, despite the rapid escalation, no senior official from New Delhi — such as the Foreign Secretary — has issued a public statement. India’s position has been conveyed solely through the MEA spokesperson. In contrast, Hossain has adopted a confrontational tone, holding frequent press briefings and levelling allegations against India.
Analysts believe that intensifying anti-India sentiment ahead of elections could be one of the objectives. Historically, when governments opposed to the Awami League have been in power, anti-India rhetoric has often emerged as a key electoral issue in Bangladesh. Another possible reason cited is the forthcoming elections— although Bangladesh’s Election Commission has issued guidelines for foreign election observers and journalists, suspending visa issuance in advance could effectively prevent Indian observers and media personnel from entering the country during the polls.
Verma was previously summoned during the tenure of the Mohammad Yunus-led interim government. The Indian High Commissioner or his representatives have been called to the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry six times. Earlier this month, Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to India, Riaz Hamidullah, was summoned to the MEA in New Delhi and was asked to ensure the security of Indian missions in Bangladesh.
Sources said that following Tuesday’s meeting, Bangladesh demanded that India strengthen security around Bangladeshi missions in India. However, neither the Indian High Commissioner nor the MEA has issued any official comment on the matter so far.
Also read: Bangladesh violence cause for grave concern: UN Secretary General
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