INDIA will withdraw the families and dependents of its diplomats from Bangladesh amid security concerns, as tensions rise ahead of the country’s February 12 general election, an Indian official said on Wednesday.
The move comes as campaigning for the election begins on Thursday, with protests and counter-protests reported in Bangladesh. Relations between the two neighbours have been strained since former prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India in 2024 following deadly protests.
India’s decision to withdraw diplomats’ families was part of “internal readjustments”, the official said, without providing further details. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to Reuters, referred to Indian media reports on the decision by New Delhi.
It was not immediately clear when the families would return.
The foreign ministries of India and Bangladesh did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In December, India summoned Bangladesh’s high commissioner, or ambassador, to raise concerns over what it described as a deteriorating security situation, particularly threats targeting the Indian mission in the capital, Dhaka.
The interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has repeatedly sought Hasina’s extradition to Bangladesh, while rejecting New Delhi’s concerns over violence targeting members of the minority Hindu community.
(With inputs from Reuters)
