Tensions soared in India on Wednesday as New Delhi summoned Bangladesh’s High Commissioner Md Riaz Hamidullah to lodge a strong protest over escalating anti-India protests in Dhaka, including threats to the Indian High Commission and inflammatory remarks targeting India’s northeastern states.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) expressed “deep concern” over the deteriorating security environment in Bangladesh, highlighting activities by “extremist elements” planning disruptions around the Indian mission. The summons followed announcements of a “march” to the High Commission by radical groups and provocative statements from Bangladeshi leaders.
In a particularly alarming development that has rattled security circles in India, National Citizen Party (NCP) leader Hasnat Abdullah threatened to “isolate” and “sever” India’s “Seven Sisters”โthe northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripuraโby sheltering separatist groups. Abdullah’s remarks, made at a rally linked to protests over the recent shooting of anti-India activist Sharif Osman Hadi, together with the daily Amar Desh Editor Mahmudur Rahman, an ISI agent patronising jihadists, drew widespread condemnation in India for directly challenging territorial integrity.
“Such rhetoric is unacceptable and poses a serious threat to India’s internal security,” a senior MEA official said off-record, noting vulnerabilities along the narrow Siliguri Corridor connecting the Northeast to mainland India.
Adding to the unease, India temporarily closed its main visa application centre in Dhaka early on Wednesday amid security threats, disrupting services for thousands of Bangladeshi applicants seeking medical treatment, education, and travel to India.
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The protests stem from the December 12 attempted assassination of Hadi, a prominent anti-Hasina figure and independent election candidate, who was shot in broad daylight and later airlifted to Singapore for treatment at government expense. Some Bangladeshi groups baselessly alleged links to India or exiled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, fueling anti-India demonstrations.
On Victory Day (December 16), Dhaka authorities unveiled “Felani Avenue” in the capital’s diplomatic quarter, renaming a road after Felani Khatun, a 15-year-old killed by India’s Border Security Force in 2011. The move, described by Bangladeshi officials as a “symbol of protest” against border killings, was seen in New Delhi as a deliberate provocation amid the unrest.
India rejected narratives blaming it for Hadi’s attack, with the MEA stating it “completely rejects the false narrative sought to be created by extremist elements.” Sources indicate growing concerns in India over rising radicalism under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government, including closer ties with Pakistan and unchecked anti-India sentiment ahead of the February 2026 elections.
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The Awami League remains banned, excluding Bangladesh’s largest party from polls, while exiled Hasina continues to face extradition demands unmet by India.
As bilateral ties strainโonce a model of cooperation under Sheikh Hasinaโexperts warn of risks to trade, connectivity, and minority protection. India has called on Dhaka to fulfil diplomatic obligations for mission safety while quietly bolstering border vigilance in the Northeast.
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