KEY POINTS
- Bangladesh summons India’s High Commissioner to protest “violent and premeditated attacks” on its diplomatic facilities.
- Dhaka accuses “extremist elements” and demands India investigate and ensure the security of its missions.
- India said a small protest was briefly dispersed and rejected what it called “misleading” media reports.
- Diplomatic tensions are linked to the killing of anti-India youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi.
- Both countries have suspended visa services amid protests.
DHAKA, Bangladesh: Bangladesh on Tuesday summoned India’s High Commissioner in Dhaka to protest what it described as “violent and premeditated attacks” on its diplomatic facilities in India, as tensions between the two South Asian neighbours continue to escalate.
Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma was summoned to convey Dhaka’s “grave concern” over incidents targeting Bangladeshi diplomatic premises in recent days.
According to Dhaka, the incidents included protests and vandalism outside the Bangladesh High Commission and the official residence of the Bangladeshi high commissioner in New Delhi on December 20, as well as damage to the Bangladesh Visa Centre in Siliguri on December 22.
The foreign ministry alleged that the acts were carried out by “extremist elements”.
Bangladesh condemned what it termed “acts of intimidation against its diplomatic establishments”, saying they endangered diplomatic personnel and violated international norms.
“Such incidents undermine the principles of mutual respect and the values of peace and tolerance,” the ministry said in a statement.
Dhaka demands investigation
Dhaka called on New Delhi to conduct a proper investigation and to fulfil its obligations under international diplomatic conventions.
“Bangladesh expects the Government of India to immediately take appropriate steps in accordance with its international and diplomatic obligations to safeguard the dignity and security of diplomatic personnel and establishments,” the statement said.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said on Sunday that the protest outside the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi involved “20–25 youths” and was dispersed by police. New Delhi reiterated India’s commitment to ensuring the safety of foreign missions.
Indian foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also said New Delhi had taken note of what he described as “misleading propaganda in sections of the Bangladesh media” regarding the incident.
In response, the Bangladesh foreign ministry issued a statement, saying that the “unjustifiable incident at the Bangladesh High Commission residence in New Delhi on December 20 is highly regrettable and cannot be accepted as ‘misleading propaganda’”.
Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo reported that around 20 to 25 protesters gathered outside the High Commission on Saturday evening, chanting anti-Bangladesh slogans and issuing threats against High Commissioner Mohammad Mustafizur Rahman.
Anti-India anger in Bangladesh
The diplomatic fallout comes amid widespread protests in Bangladesh following the killing of prominent anti-India youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi.
Hadi, 32, was shot by masked gunmen outside a mosque in Dhaka on December 12 and later died at a hospital in Singapore on December 15. His death triggered nationwide demonstrations and renewed anger towards India.
Protesters have accused New Delhi of sheltering both the perpetrators of the killing and former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India after being ousted during last year’s mass uprising.
According to Bangladeshi police, the suspected gunman, Faisal Karim Masud, and his alleged accomplice, Alamgir Sheikh, fled across the border into India after the attack. Indian authorities have not commented on the allegation.
In response, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned India’s High Commissioner to Dhaka, Pranay Verma, urging New Delhi to arrest and hand over the suspected killers if they are found on Indian soil.
Shooting of anti-India youth leaders
Political tensions intensified further on Monday when another anti-India student leader was shot in the southern city of Khulna.
Muhammad Md Motaleb Sikder, 42, a senior leader of the student-led National Citizen Party (NCP), was targeted by unidentified gunmen in the Sonadanga area, according to local media.
NCP joint principal coordinator Mahmuda Mitu said in a Facebook post that Sikder, the party’s Khulna divisional convener and a central organiser of its labour wing, was rushed to Khulna Medical College Hospital in critical condition.
Hospital officials later said the bullet grazed his skull without penetrating it and that his condition had stabilised. Doctors confirmed he was now out of danger.
Meanwhile in India, hundreds of protesters gathered near the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on Tuesday to protest the killing of a Hindu man in Bangladesh.
At least 10 people have been arrested in connection with that case, according to Indian media citing authorities.
Protesters burned pictures of Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus and chanted slogans calling for a boycott of Bangladesh.
Amid rising security concerns, Bangladesh has suspended all consular and visa services at its High Commission in New Delhi.
In response, the Indian Visa Application Centre in the Bangladeshi port city of Chattogram has also halted operations.
Political backdrop
Relations between the two countries have remained strained since the 2024 uprising in Bangladesh that ended Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule.
Hasina has been living in India since fleeing the country last August.
The United Nations estimates that around 1,400 people were killed during the protests that led to her ouster.
On Sunday, Bangladesh again criticised India over security arrangements at its mission in New Delhi.
Foreign affairs adviser Touhid Hossain questioned how protesters were able to reach a highly secured diplomatic zone.
“Our mission is located deep inside the diplomatic area, not at the periphery,” Hossain told reporters, according to The Bangladesh Today.
The unjustifiable incident at the Bangladesh High Commission residence in New Delhi on 20 Dec 2025 is highly regrettable.@bdhc_delhi pic.twitter.com/XopXufH3dw
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs (@BDMOFA) December 21, 2025
