Dhaka declared ‘non-family’ station due to ‘deteriorating’ security situation: Indian officials

India had to withdraw the dependents and family members of officials from its missions in Bangladesh because of the “deteriorating” law and order situation in the country, with Indian posts facing a sustained threat of mob attack for the past few months, according to Indian officials.

They emphasised that this is a “precautionary” measure, as tensions escalate ahead of the February 12 election. The withdrawal of dependents and families from missions in Bangladesh will not impact diplomatic and consular activities, officials told The Hindu.

“The decision to declare Dhaka as a ‘non-family’ station was a precautionary measure given the deteriorating security situation. Over the past few months, over two dozen protests have taken place in close proximity to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka. Further, on 18th December, at the Assistant High Commission of India in Chittagong, protesters pelted stones on the premises,” an official source said, highlighting the heightened threats faced by Indian posts in Bangladesh since December 2025

Missions threatened

India-Bangladesh ties hit a new hurdle last month with the murder of Sharif Osman Hadi, an Islamist youth leader who led the radical outfit July Mancho. After Mr. Hadi was shot on December 12, there were allegations that his murderers had fled to India. As the rumours and allegations spread online, the Indian High Commission in Dhaka and Assistant High Commissions in Chittagong, Khulna, and Rajshahi faced threats. Tit-for-tat incidents were also reported from Agartala, Kolkata, and New Delhi, where protesters raised slogans outside the Bangladesh High Commission during the same time.

Officials here said the safety concerns raised by Dhaka regarding Bangladesh’s missons in India in December had been addressed adequately, noting that India continues to maintain a “heightened police presence” on the road leading to the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi’s diplomatic enclave.

India is continuously tracking developments inside Bangladesh, officials said, with tensions expected to escalate as the Awami League led by deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, which is banned in Bangladesh, has restarted its activities from Indian soil. A major press interaction was organised by Awami League leaders on January 17 and a similar media engagement is expected to take place in New Delhi later this week.