New Delhi/Dhaka: Diplomatic ties between India and Bangladesh reached a critical flashpoint on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, as the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry summoned Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma. The move comes in response to a wave of protests and alleged vandalism at Bangladeshi diplomatic missions in India.
Bangladesh Cites “Premeditated Violence”
The interim government in Dhaka expressed “grave concern” over what it described as acts of intimidation by extremist elements. The summons specifically addressed two recent incidents:
- Siliguri Vandalism: Allegations of vandalism at the Bangladesh Visa Centre on December 22.
- Delhi Protests: Large-scale demonstrations outside the High Commission in New Delhi, where protesters reportedly breached barricades, leading to a police lathi-charge.
“Bangladesh condemns such acts of premeditated violence or intimidation… which not only endanger the safety of diplomatic personnel but also undermine the principles of mutual respect,” the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry stated.
India Rejects “Security Breach” Narrative
India has pushback against the characterization of these events. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) previously dismissed reports of a security breach in Delhi as “misleading propaganda,” stating that the protests were brief and successfully managed by local police without posing a threat to the mission.
Deepening Strains: The Hasina Factor & Border Rhetoric
The diplomatic row is the latest in a series of escalations following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government:
- Sheikh Hasina’s Exile: Dhaka continues to pressure New Delhi for the extradition of the former PM, who was recently sentenced to death by a Bangladeshi court.
- Inflammatory Speeches: India recently summoned the Bangladeshi envoy over a speech by NCP leader Hasnat Abdullah, who suggested Bangladesh could shelter separatists and sever India’s “Seven Sister” states.
- Hadi’s Death: The death of radical student leader Sharif Osman Hadi in Singapore has fueled anti-India sentiment in Dhaka, with unfounded rumors suggesting his killers fled to India.
Consular Services Suspended
As a direct result of the unrest, consular operations have ground to a halt:
- Bangladesh has suspended visa services in New Delhi, Agartala, and Siliguri.
- India has suspended its visa operations in Chittagong following mob violence at its mission there.