Agartala: Days after repeated protests broke out in front of the Bangladesh diplomatic mission located in Agartala, the capital city of Tripura, the authorities decided to suspend visa and consular services until further notice.
All visa and consular services at the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala will remain suspended from December 23 until further notice due to unavoidable circumstances, an official statement said on Monday.
In a brief notification issued by the Assistant High Commission, it was stated that the decision to keep the services closed had been taken owing to circumstances beyond control. However, no specific reason was cited for the suspension.
The announcement has caused inconvenience to applicants, particularly those who had scheduled appointments for visa-related services over the coming days. The mission has advised applicants and visitors to take note of the closure and refrain from visiting the office during the period.
The Assistant High Commission said that further updates regarding the resumption of services would be communicated in due course through official channels.
It should be noted here that the decision to suspend services was made days after protests staged by different political and social outfits vehemently condemning the atrocities on religious and ethnic minorities of Bangladesh.
Tipra Motha Party Supremo Pradyot Kishore Debbarman credited the protests held by the youth wing of his party YTF for the closure. He said, “We shall not allow this office to function here in our state so long atrocities on religious and ethnic minorities shall continue in Bangladesh. We can’t let people speak anything against our motherland and our embassy. This is why I speak for unity. If we can stand united, we can achieve greater heights together.”
According to Debbarman, India shouldn’t silently listen to the threats coming from Bangladesh.