The website of Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) in Bangladesh says that all centres will remain closed till further notice in the country due to "unstable situation". The situation in Bangladesh remains tense after the dramatic exit of Sheikh Hasina after resigning as prime minister amid deadly protests in the country over a government job quota that has killed over 400 people already.
"All IVACs will remain closed till further notice, due to unstable situation. Next application date will be informed through SMS & It is requested to pick up the passport on the next working day," a message in the online portal to apply for Indian visa reads.
Sheikh Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled the country following violent anti-government protests spearheaded by the Students Against Discrimination movement. After Hasina's exit, Army chief Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman had announced that an interim government will be taking over.
Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus is set to take oath as the head of Bangladesh's interim government on Thursday, as he made a fervent appeal to everyone to stay calm and "refrain from all kinds of violence" to make the best use of “our new victory”.
Bodies of at least 29 supporters of Hasina’s Awami League party were recovered across the country through Tuesday, taking the overall death toll to 469 in almost three weeks since the protest first started in July, according to local media reports.
As authorities scrambled to bring the law and order situation under control, Army chief Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman on Wednesday announced that the interim government will take oath around 8 pm on Thursday. He said the advisory council may have 15 members.
Meanwhile, the Indian High Commission in violence-hit Bangladesh's Dhaka remains functional, sources said on Wednesday, adding that non-essential staff are returning to India on voluntary basis.
Sources cited in a news agency PTI report said that all Indian diplomats remain in Indian High Commission in Dhaka.
