India’s decision to suspend visa services from Bangladesh’s port city of Chittagong after a fresh bout of political violence underscores how difficult it may be for bilateral ties to return to normal any time soon, analysts have said.
Thousands of protesters marched on Thursday after Hadi’s death was confirmed, demanding the arrest of those responsible as demonstrations in Dhaka and elsewhere turned violent.
A member of the country’s Hindu minority, a 25-year-old garment factory worker, was reportedly lynched and killed by a mob in Bhaluka, in Bangladesh’s Mymensingh district, during the unrest. Separately, several buildings in Dhaka – including those housing the country’s two leading newspapers, The Daily Star and Prothom Alo – were reportedly set ablaze.
The two papers are the largest in the South Asian country, but protesters accused them of being aligned with neighbouring India, where former prime minister Sheikh Hasina has taken refuge since her removal from power.
