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Bangladesh’s Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain said he had been informed of death threats made against High Commissioner Riaz Hamidullah during the demonstration.

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Bangladesh has suspended consular and visa services at its High Commission in New Delhi and its Assistant High Commission in Agartala until further notice, citing heightened diplomatic tensions linked to recent unrest in the country.

According to reports by The Daily Star, the move follows a protest by around 20 to 25 people outside the Bangladeshi High Commission in New Delhi two days earlier. Bangladesh’s Foreign Adviser Touhid Hossain said in Dhaka on Sunday that he had been informed of death threats made against High Commissioner Riaz Hamidullah during the demonstration.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs, however, dismissed claims circulating in Bangladesh that Indian citizens had threatened Bangladeshi diplomats, describing them as “misleading propaganda”.

Addressing the incident, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the gathering was organised to protest the killing of Dipu Chandra Das and to demand protection for minorities in Bangladesh. He added that there was no attempt to breach security at the mission and that the protesters dispersed within minutes, reiterating India’s responsibility to protect foreign diplomats under the Vienna Convention.

The diplomatic fallout comes amid widespread unrest in Bangladesh following the killing of student leader Sharif Osman Bin Hadi, a prominent figure in the 2024 student-led movement against the Sheikh Hasina government. His death sparked protests, clashes and vandalism across several regions.

In Chittagong, stones were reportedly thrown at the residence of the assistant Indian high commissioner, while properties linked to the Awami League and media offices were attacked.

In response, India suspended visa services at its Chittagong centre on Sunday and increased security at its diplomatic missions. Of India’s five visa application centres in Bangladesh, four remained operational, officials said.

In Agartala, Bangladesh’s Assistant High Commission announced that visa and consular services would be closed from Tuesday onward. The decision followed protests last week by a Hindutva group and the youth wing of the TIPRA Motha Party over remarks by Bangladeshi leaders threatening India’s northeastern states.

Meanwhile, protests also erupted in Kolkata, where BJP and Congress leaders demonstrated outside the Bangladeshi Deputy High Commission over attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh. Police prevented protesters from entering the premises, citing security concerns, leading to brief confrontations and sit-ins.