'India has decided to evacuate family members of diplomats from Bangladesh'

India has decided to 'evacuate' family members of diplomats from all its missions in Bangladesh, according to various newspapers in the country.

According to Indian media, in diplomatic terms, India has decided to declare Bangladesh as a 'non-family' posting. All five missions in Bangladesh, including the country's High Commission in Dhaka, will be 'non-family' postings due to 'security reasons'.

These missions are the High Commission in Dhaka and the four Assistant High Commissions in Chattogram, Khulna, Rajshahi and Sylhet. However, sources said that all five diplomatic missions will continue to 'operate at full capacity'.

The Indian news agency ANI reported this information quoting relevant officials, but did not mention any names. No statement from the country's Foreign Ministry was also made on the matter.

Hindustan Times report says that the ‘non-family’ posting is one of the strictest security measures for Indian diplomats. Pakistan, whose relations with India are at their lowest point since the war, currently has a ‘no children’ posting, where only spouses are allowed to accompany officials.

Since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s government in the 24th mass uprising, tensions have been rising between the two neighbors, Bangladesh and India, over mutual accusations and public protests. Since the interim government took office in Bangladesh, diplomatic messages have been exchanged. Amidst the exchange of letters, there have been rare incidents of summoning diplomats from both countries on the same day.

At the same time, India has been complaining one after another that minorities are being persecuted in Bangladesh. There have also been protests and scuffles in front of the Bangladesh mission in India over this. There have also been protests in front of Indian missions in Bangladesh several times.

Recently, relations have deteriorated further over the exclusion of Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman from the IPL.

However, the visit and condolence messages of top Indian leaders after the death of former Prime Minister and former BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia seem to have somewhat thawed the ice between Dhaka and Delhi.

In this situation, three weeks before the 13th parliamentary elections on February 12, the decision to 'remove' family members of diplomats from all missions in Bangladesh for 'security reasons' was announced.

Several diplomatic sources told Views Bangladesh that diplomats from several countries belonging to the European Union have already sent their family members to their respective countries.

However, no official comment has been received on this matter so far.