This marked the second occasion on which the Bangladeshi envoy to India was summoned by the Indian government, reflecting the growing strain in bilateral relations following a series of violent anti-India protests across multiple regions of Bangladesh.
On Tuesday, India summoned Bangladesh High Commissioner Riaz Hamidullah, only hours after Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry had called in India’s envoy to Dhaka, Pranay Verma. Dhaka conveyed its “grave concern” over several incidents in India that it said were directed at Bangladeshi diplomatic establishments, including protests and acts of vandalism.
Earlier the same day, the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry issued a statement saying that Pranay Verma was formally informed of Bangladesh’s serious concerns regarding incidents outside the Bangladesh High Commission and the official residence of the Bangladeshi High Commissioner in New Delhi on December 20, 2025. The statement also referred to vandalism at Bangladesh’s Visa Centre in Siliguri on December 22, which Dhaka attributed to what it described as “various extremist elements”.
This was not the first diplomatic exchange of its kind in recent days. Last week, India had already summoned High Commissioner Hamidullah to express strong objections over what New Delhi termed a “deteriorating security environment” in Bangladesh. India also raised concerns about potential threats to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka amid rising unrest and hostility.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said at the time that the Bangladeshi envoy was specifically alerted to the activities of “certain extremist elements” who had publicly announced plans that could pose security challenges to the Indian diplomatic mission in Bangladesh. The MEA further stated that India firmly “rejects the false narrative being propagated by extremist elements” in relation to recent developments in Bangladesh.
In addition, the MEA noted that Bangladesh’s interim administration had so far neither conducted a comprehensive investigation into the incidents nor shared any credible evidence with Indian authorities, although it did not elaborate further on this point.
The latest summoning of Hamidullah came a day after a Bangladeshi political figure reportedly issued a threat to isolate India’s northeastern region, commonly referred to as the Seven Sisters. While the MEA did not directly reference this remark in its official statement, the timing added to the sense of escalating diplomatic tension.
Bangladesh has once again been engulfed in turmoil following the killing of anti-India activist Sharif Osman Hadi, who was shot by unidentified assailants during a public event days earlier. His death triggered widespread protests in several parts of the country, with demonstrators resorting to vandalism and arson while alleging an “Indian hand” behind the killing. The interim government led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, however, did not officially endorse those allegations.
The situation further deteriorated after a separate and highly disturbing incident in which a local Hindu worker, Dipu Chandra Das, was allegedly lynched, publicly beaten, and set on fire over claims of making blasphemous remarks. The incident sparked outrage both within Bangladesh and in India, intensifying communal and political tensions.
On Tuesday, large-scale protests were held outside the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi by members of the Vishva Hindu Parishad and other Hindu groups, including the Bajrang Dal, condemning the killing of Dipu Chandra Das. In response, the Bangladesh government criticised the protest and summoned the Indian envoy to formally register its objections.
Anticipating the demonstrations, Indian authorities had significantly tightened security around the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi. The area was secured with multiple layers of barricades, and approximately 15,000 police and paramilitary personnel were deployed to maintain law and order.
Protests were not limited to the national capital. Similar anti-Bangladesh demonstrations also broke out in Kolkata, prompting authorities to enhance security at the Indian High Commission in Dhaka as a precautionary measure.
Taken together, the reciprocal summoning of envoys, rising street protests, and unresolved incidents on both sides underscore the depth of the current diplomatic strain between India and Bangladesh, with relations entering a particularly sensitive phase amid regional unrest and heightened public emotions.
