India-Bangladesh Halt Consular Services Amid Protests

Bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh have deteriorated further amid ongoing unrest, with Dhaka suspending visa and consular services at its high commission in New Delhi and its assistant high commission in Agartala, Tripura, until further notice. The move, announced on December 23, followed protests outside the missions and came days after India halted visa operations at its assistant high commission in Chittagong, Bangladesh, due to security concerns.

The suspensions stem from a cycle of demonstrations triggered by the killing of Sharif Osman Hadi, a prominent student activist and spokesperson for Inqilab Moncho, a key group in last year's uprising that ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Hadi was shot at close range in Dhaka's Bijoynagar area on December 12, a day after the Election Commission announced national elections for February 2026. He was airlifted to Singapore for treatment but died from his injuries on December 18. His death sparked widespread protests across Bangladesh, with demonstrators demanding swift justice and accusing the interim government of inaction.

Bangladesh's interim administration, led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, declared...