Chittagong, Dec 21: In the aftermath of a violent incident at the Indian Assistant High Commission in Chittagong, Indian authorities have suspended visa services at the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) in the port city with effect from Sunday and until further notice, officials confirmed.

They said visa operations would resume only after a fresh assessment of the security situation, and any decision in this regard would be announced subsequently.

The suspension follows clashes outside the Indian Assistant High Commission on Friday, during which at least four people were injured, including two police officers. Local media reported that the violence was triggered by the death of Sharif Osman Hadi, a spokesperson for the radical group Inqilab Mancha.

According to police, protesters assembled outside the Indian mission in Chittagong’s Khulshi area in the early hours of Friday and began throwing bricks and damaging parts of the premises. Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP) Commissioner Hasib Aziz said police intervention led to running clashes between security personnel and demonstrators.

Those injured were taken to Chittagong Medical College Hospital for treatment, Aziz said, adding that several individuals were detained from the scene.

Earlier in the week, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi summoned Bangladesh’s High Commissioner to India, Riaz Hamidullah, to express serious concerns over the deteriorating security situation in Bangladesh. The MEA said the envoy was specifically informed about the activities of extremist groups that have reportedly threatened to create security challenges around the Indian mission in Dhaka.

India also rejected what it termed a false narrative being circulated by extremist elements in connection with recent developments in Bangladesh.