Indian visa centre in Dhaka resumes ‘limited operations’

Dhaka, August 13

The Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) here resumed “limited operations” on Tuesday, days after Bangladesh saw violent clashes which led to the ouster of prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Hasina, 76, resigned and fled to India last week following widespread protests against her Awami League-led government over a controversial job quota system.

In a press release, IVAC announced the resumption of limited operations in its Dhaka centre.

“IVAC (JFP) Dhaka has resumed limited operations. Messages will be sent to individual applicants regarding (the) collection of passports,” the press release said.

It requested applicants to arrive at the centre only after receiving a text message to collect their passports.

“Because of limited operations, the process may take longer. We request your understanding,” it said.

Last week, the IVAC announced the closure of all visa centres in the country until further notice due to the unstable situation after the fall of the Hasina-led Awami League government, Somoy TV news channel reported.

The National Emergency Hotline Service has been restored as of Tuesday, according to the Dhaka Tribune newspaper. From Monday, police officers returned to different police stations and traffic police personnel also went back to work.

The Ministry of Primary and Mass Education also instructed primary schools to resume classes after a month of closure, bdnews24.com news portal reported.