Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
The Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) in Bangladesh’s Chattogram suspended operations on Sunday citing security concerns amid escalating unrest following the killing of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi.
“Due to the recent security incident at AHCI Chattogram, Indian visa operations at IVAC Chattogram will remain suspended until further notice,” the centre said, adding that reopening would be announced after a review. The suspension follows protests near the Assistant High Commission of India and the visa centre, where clashes injured at least four people, including a police officer.
Demonstrations erupted after Hadi, a key figure in the July uprising, died from gunshot wounds sustained in an attack earlier this month. The unrest has seen widespread violence, including attacks on newspaper offices, arson, damage to cultural institutions, demolition of an Awami League office in Rajshahi, and the lynching of a Hindu garment worker, deepening concerns over political instability and communal tensions in Bangladesh.