Over the weekend and as a measure to the continuous crisis in the country that saw Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resign from power, all the Indian VAC centers in Bangladesh called it quits until further notice.
But Indian diplomatic personnel are still stationed there, and the missions are continuing to function, sources told ET. A notice in the online portal of the Indian Visa Application Center's Bangladesh page reads, "All IVACs will remain closed until further notice due to the current instability. Information about the next application date will be sent via SMS, and passport pickup should occur on the next working day."
The Bengali government has made this move after India ordered the evacuation of its non-essential staff and their relatives from the Indian High Commission in Dhaka and other Indian consulates in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, and Sylhet. The Indian diplomatic presence in Bangladesh include a High Commission in Dhaka, and consulates in Chittag.
The Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar reportedly told Parliament that India is monitoring the developments on the front involving minorities in Bangladesh and that the Indian High Commission is in touch with the Indian citizens residing there.
Definitely, with the turmoil, there have been many student returnees also to India. In the meantime, Bangladesh is expected to form an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus on Thursday.
President Mohammed Shahabuddin dissolved Parliament on Tuesday as the nation awaited an interim government after the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the previous day. Serving her fourth consecutive term in office since taking over in early 2009, Hasina resigned on Monday and has since left for India.
Among the most prominent protesters in the anti-quota movement that called for Hasina's resignation is Nahid Islam, thought to be influential in the interim government. On Tuesday night after Hasina fled the city, Islam, alongside President Shahabuddin, and the Army chief Zaman had crucial talks over the new government's line-up.
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