New Delhi: In another sign of rising tensions, India today (December 17) summoned Bangladesh High Commissioner Riaz Hamidullah after certain groups in Dhaka issued threats against the Indian diplomatic mission.Even as the Bangladeshi envoy was summoned to South Block, the Indian Visa Application Centre in Dhaka was closed down in the afternoon due to the “on-going security situation”.The diplomatic move and the closure of the visa centre occurred after a group calling itself ‘July Oikya’ announced plans to hold a “March to Indian High Commission” at 3 pm. According to local media reports, the organisers accused India of sheltering Awami League leaders as well as individuals involved in the recent shooting of independent election candidate Sharif Osman Hadi.Security personnel stand behind barricades to stop protesters as Bangladeshi groups gather for a march following the MEA’s summoning of the Bangladesh High Commissioner over a threat to the Indian mission, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. Photo: PTI.The march, however, ended prematurely on Wednesday afternoon as police and security forces blocked the demonstrators before reaching the diplomatic zone. While the protesters were prevented from reaching the High Commission, the participants held at sit-in on the road, raising slogans against India.The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated that Hamidullah was informed of “India’s strong concerns at the deteriorating security environment in Bangladesh”.“His attention was drawn, in particular, to the activities of some extremist elements who have announced plans to create a security situation around the Indian Mission in Dhaka,” the statement said.New Delhi noted that it expected the “interim government to ensure the safety of Missions and Posts in Bangladesh in keeping with its diplomatic obligations”.While the MEA did not explicitly name the Hadi incident in its Wednesday statement, it noted that New Delhi “completely rejects the false narrative sought to be created by extremist elements regarding certain recent events in Bangladesh”. This is viewed as a reference to the attempted assassination of the youth leader Hadi, which has led to sections of the political establishment in Bangladesh to target India. Hadi, who served as the spokesperson for the Inquilab Mancha, a right-wing cultural group campaigning to disband the former ruling Awami League, was shot by gunmen in Dhaka last Friday and was flown to Singapore for advanced treatment.The development follows the summoning of the Indian High Commissioner to the Bangladesh foreign ministry two days ago.While the meeting was ostensibly regarding the continued presence of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in India, Dhaka also publicly sought cooperation to prevent suspects involved in the attack from escaping across the border, requesting their “immediate apprehension and extradition” should they enter Indian territory.Bangladeshi groups gather for a march following the MEA’s summoning of the Bangladesh High Commissioner over a threat to the Indian mission, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025. Photo: PTI.India on allegationsIn response to the allegations made on December 14, India had “categorically rejected” the assertions, stating that it has “never allowed its territory to be used for activities inimical to the interests of the friendly people of Bangladesh”.Reiterating this stance on Wednesday, the MEA remarked that it was “unfortunate that the interim government has neither conducted a thorough investigation nor shared meaningful evidence with India regarding the incidents”.While India did not spell out the incident by name, the MEA statement said that New Delhi “completely rejects the false narrative sought to be created by extremist elements regarding certain recent events in Bangladesh”.The statement reiterated that India had close ties with the “people of Bangladesh rooted in the liberation struggle, and strengthened through various developmental and people-to-people initiatives”.“We are in favour of peace and stability in Bangladesh and have consistently called for free, fair, inclusive and credible elections, conducted in a peaceful atmosphere,” the MEA added. Bangladesh interim government announced that it will hold general elections on February 12.Bangladesh issued a sharp response, with Bangladeshi Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain saying that Dhaka does not seek advice from India on how its elections should be conducted. “India never uttered a word about the farcical elections held under the previous Awami League government,” he told reporters at the foreign ministry. He added that any such advice from India is unacceptable to the interim government.‘Seven sisters’The diplomatic spat comes against the backdrop of increasingly hostile rhetoric. On December 15, Hasnat Abdullah, a leader of the National Citizen Party (NCP) in Bangladesh, warned that India’s northeastern “seven sister” states would be isolated if Bangladesh is destabilised.Speaking at a protest rally organised by the Inqilab Mancha, the same group Osman Hadi belongs to, Abdullah alleged that India was backing those creating chaos in Bangladesh. “If Bangladesh is destabilised, the fire of resistance will spread beyond borders,” he said, accusing New Delhi of sheltering forces that do not respect Bangladesh’s sovereignty.Reacting sharply to these remarks on December 16, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma termed the comments “irresponsible and dangerous.” Asserting that India “will not remain silent,” Sarma stated, “We should teach them a lesson if they continue to behave in this way.”Note: This report was updated with the information that the march was blocked by Dhaka police and the comments of the Bangladeshi Foreign Affairs Adviser.