Bangladesh Summons Indian Envoy Over Mission Security as Protests Erupt in Delhi

Bangladesh summoned India’s High Commissioner to Dhaka, Pranay Verma, over concerns about the security of Bangladeshi diplomatic missions in India, as protests outside the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi turned violent.

Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam called in the envoy on Tuesday, condemning what Dhaka described as acts of intimidation and vandalism targeting its diplomatic facilities. The Foreign Ministry urged India to strengthen security at Bangladeshi missions in cities including New Delhi and Kolkata, investigate recent incidents and prevent their recurrence.

The move follows vandalism at the Bangladesh Visa Centre in Siliguri on December 22 and a protest outside the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi days earlier. This marks the second time in 10 days that the Indian envoy has been summoned, and at least the sixth such instance during Bangladesh’s interim administration.

Meanwhile, large protests by members of the Vishva Hindu Parishad and other Hindu groups erupted near the Bangladeshi mission in Delhi, with demonstrators clashing with police and breaking barricades. The protests were sparked by anger over the killing of Dipu Chandra Das in Bangladesh, an incident that has heightened tensions over minority safety.

India has rejected claims of inadequate security, saying the New Delhi protest was brief and posed no threat to diplomatic staff, even as diplomatic tensions between the two neighbours continue to rise.

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