Bangladesh's restriction on raw jute exports since September has begun to pinch jute mills in the Indian state of West Bengal, Indian media reported citing industry sources.
A section of the mills has sharply cut production after raw jute prices touched Rs 1,10,000 per tonne mark, and traders and stockists are unwilling to release jute, anticipating even higher prices, according to industry sources, The Business Line reported.
West Bengal is the primary jute and jute goods production centre in India.
In the Hooghly industrial belt, jute mills operate at 10-15 shifts per week, far below sustainable levels. Concerned about further price escalation of raw jute and uncertain availability, even relatively well-placed mills are holding onto the raw material.
In a letter to Indian Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh on 18 December, Indian Jute Mills Association (IJMA) Chairman Raghavendra Gupta said the Bangladesh government's action has abruptly disrupted raw material supplies, exposed mills to severe financial risk and led to an abnormal escalation in domestic raw jute prices.
"The combined impact threatens mill operations, employment and the stability of the jute value chain," Gupta said.
Industry sources reported that some mills have reduced working shifts due to the shortage of raw jute. A growing number of mills are now operating at bare-minimum levels, reflecting an industry-wide contraction that could accelerate in the coming weeks.
The situation has worsened despite repeated deliberations at the Jute Advisory Group, where concerns over raw jute availability, hoarding, and price volatility have been repeatedly flagged. While demand dilution and stock control measures were discussed, ground-level enforcement has remained absent, industry participants said.
According to The Business Line, IJMA said in its letter that it favours a ban on India allowing export of high-yielding varieties of jute seeds on which Bangladesh is heavily dependent. These high-yielding seeds are a vital input enabling Bangladesh's jute production and exports.
A section of the mills has sharply cut production after raw jute prices touched Rs 1,10,000 per tonne mark, and traders and stockists are unwilling to release jute, anticipating even higher prices, according to industry sources.
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Highlights
- Bangladesh halts visa services in New Delhi, Siliguri and Agartala amid security concerns
- High Commission in New Delhi suspends services following protest by Hindu group
- Siliguri visa centre shut down after vandalism and a large protest by Hindu groups
- Assistant High Commission in Agartala to stop services from 23 December until further notice
Visa and consular services for Bangladesh nationals and applicants in India's New Delhi, Shiliguri, and Agartala have been suspended.
The development came following protests by Hindu nationalist groups, prompting temporary suspensions reportedly on security grounds.
The Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi temporarily suspended all consular services, including visa issuance today (22 December), citing "unavoidable circumstances." Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that the suspension will remain in effect until further notice.
A notice posted at the high commission stated that all consular services and visa issuance have been halted temporarily. The decision followed a protest on Saturday night by 20-25 members of 'Akhand Hindu Rashtra Sena' in front of the high commission premises.
The protesters reportedly chanted slogans against Bangladesh and threatened Bangladesh's High Commissioner to India, M Riaz Hamidullah, before leaving after about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh's visa centre in Siliguri, West Bengal, was forced to shut down today after members of several Hindutva organisations vandalised the facility, reports Prothom Alo.
Members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Hindu Jagaran Manch and Siliguri Mahanagar Sangathan staged a protest, alleging persecution of the Hindu community in Bangladesh.
Diplomatic sources in Delhi and Kolkata told Prothom Alo that a private company, DU Digital, has been operating the Bangladesh visa centre in Siliguri for several years. Today, around 300 protesters gathered at Bagha Jatin Park in Siliguri before marching to and surrounding the visa office. During the demonstration, they demanded an end to alleged persecution of minority Hindus in Bangladesh and called for justice over the killing of Dipu Das in Mymensingh.
A five-member delegation of the protesters later entered the visa office and asked the authorities to keep it closed as a form of protest. One representative reportedly instructed a DU Digital official over the phone not to reopen the office and to remove Bangladesh-related visa banners and signage, warning that business operations would not be allowed to continue amid alleged abuses in Bangladesh.
Citing a diplomatic source in Kolkata, Prothom Alo reported that considering the security situation, DU Digital shut down the Siliguri visa centre before 3pm. A decision on reopening the centre will be taken after reviewing the situation.
Later in the day, Bangladesh's Assistant High Commission in Agartala, located in the northeastern Indian state of Tripura, decided to temporarily halt consular services and visa issuance from tomorrow (23 December) until further notice, an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed.
Assam on high alert, says CM Himanta
The north eastern Indian state of Assam has been on "high alert" in the wake of the fresh wave of unrest in Bangladesh, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said today.
Sarma told reporters on the sidelines of a programme in Guwahati that the Assam government was closely monitoring the developments in Bangladesh.
He said, "We have to be vigilant and must keep a sharp eye on the developments in that country.''
Meanwhile, prohibitory orders are in force along the border with Bangladesh in Assam's Cachar district to prevent illegal movement and potential law and order threats, officials said.
Yesterday, the Indian visa application centre in Chattogram also halted its operations until further notice, citing security concerns at the Indian Assistant High Commission in the city.
Protest at Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi
Responding to questions from journalists yesterday, Foreign Adviser Md Touhid Hossain said the Bangladesh mission is located in a highly secure area within the diplomatic enclave of Delhi, making such an incident unexpected.
However, he added that following the protest, the High Commissioner's family has been feeling threatened and at risk, prompting heightened security measures.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs, in a statement yesterday, said "About 20-25 youths gathered in front of the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi on 20 December and chanted slogans in protest against the killing of Dipu Chandra Das in Mymensingh, while also calling for the protection of all minorities in Bangladesh."
The statement clarified that there was no attempt to breach the High Commission's security or create a dangerous situation. Delhi Police, stationed at the Bangladesh High Commission, quickly dispersed the group within a few minutes.
The development came following protests by Hindu nationalist groups, prompting temporary suspensions reportedly on security grounds.
www.tbsnews.net
Bangladesh today (21 December) categorically rejected an Indian press note on the reported demonstration near its High Commission in New Delhi, questioning how protesters accessed a highly secured diplomatic zone and citing serious security lapses.
"Regarding the Indian press note, we completely reject it, entirely reject it. The issue has been presented as if it were very simple, whereas in reality it is not. Our mission is located deep inside the diplomatic area, not at the periphery," Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain told reporters at the foreign ministry this afternoon.
He said that the issue had been oversimplified in the Indian press note, while the Bangladesh Mission in New Delhi is located deep inside a sensitised and secured diplomatic area.
He questioned how a group of 25 to 30 people, described as belonging to a Hindu extremist organisation, could reach such a sensitive zone, saying that under normal circumstances this should not have been possible without being allowed access.
"They [India] say it may have been 20-25 people, but that is not the point. The question is how a group of 25 or 30 people from a Hindu extremist organisation could come so far into a sanitised, secured area. Under normal circumstances, they should not have been able to reach there at all."
The foreign adviser said the protesters did not merely raise slogans over the killing of a Hindu citizen in Bangladesh but made other statements as well, adding that reports published in Bangladeshi newspapers were largely accurate and not misleading, as claimed.
Responding to a question he said while there was no concrete proof of death threats to Bangladesh envoy though it was heard that threats were made.
"I do not have concrete proof that death threats were issued, but we have also heard that death threats were made. That may have been said by someone [among the protesters]. But my point is, why were they able to come this far in the first place, and why were they able to issue threats there?" he said.
Referring to standard international practice, Touhid said protest groups are usually required to inform authorities in advance and are stopped at a distance by police, sometimes allowing only one or two representatives to submit documents.
"What happened here, we do not accept," Touhid said.
Touhid said Bangladesh believes normal security rules and protocols were not properly followed in this case.
He said Bangladesh has alerted the Indian authorities regarding the security of its missions in India and expressed hope that such an environment would not be allowed to recur.
Asked about the format of Dhaka's protest, he said both sides remain in contact through diplomatic channels and convey their positions accordingly, adding that Bangladesh was compelled to respond openly following the Indian press note.
On the safety of Bangladeshi diplomats, he said Dhaka still trusts India to take appropriate security measures, but would consider scaling back its presence if the situation deteriorates.
"This is not just about slogans," the foreign adviser said, noting that the high commissioner and his family reside at the mission premises and felt threatened due to inadequate security, with only two guards present at the time.
He said ensuring adequate protection of diplomatic missions and personnel is the responsibility of the host country, adding that Bangladesh is taking necessary steps and the remarks reflect the position of the Government of Bangladesh.
He said such incidents occur across the region and every country has the responsibility to take appropriate measures, adding that Bangladesh was doing so and others should act similarly.
At around 9pm local time yesterday, a group of radical Hindu activists staged a protest in front of the main gate of Bangladesh House in Delhi under the banner of Akhand Hindu Rashtra Sena.
"The question is how a group of 25 or 30 people from a Hindu extremist organisation could come so far into a sanitised, secured area," he said.
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India on Sunday (December 21, 2025) suspended visa operations at the Indian Visa Application Centre in Bangladesh’s second-largest city, Chittagong, until further notice in the wake of heightened tensions following the death of prominent youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi, local media reported.
Hadi, a prominent leader of the student-led protests last year that led to the ouster of the prime minister Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government, was a candidate for the scheduled February 12 general elections.
He was shot in the head on December 12 by masked gunmen at an election campaign in central Dhaka’s Bijoynagar area. He died while undergoing treatment in Singapore on Thursday (December 18).
His death triggered attacks and vandalism across Bangladesh, including stone-hurling at the Assistant Indian High Commissioner’s residence in Chattogram on Thursday (December 18).
Indian visa applications in Chittagong have been suspended indefinitely, the Indian Visa Application Centre (IVAC) was quoted as saying by
The Dhaka Tribune newspaper on Sunday (December 21).
The decision came into effect on Sunday (December 21) following a recent security incident at the Assistant High Commission of India in Chittagong.
According to the IVAC, all Indian visa-related services in the port city will remain closed from December 21 until further notice.
The statement added that a further announcement will be made regarding the reopening of the visa application centre after a review of the security situation.
On December 20, security was strengthened at the Indian Assistant High Commission office and the visa application centre in Bangladesh’s Sylhet city.
The enhanced security measures were put in place to ensure that “no third party can exploit the situation”, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media) of the Sylhet Metropolitan Police Saiful Islam was quoted as saying by The Dhaka Tribune newspaper on Saturday (December 20).
Hadi, 32, was laid to rest on Saturday (December 20) amid extra-tight security beside the grave of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam near the Dhaka University mosque.
Tens of thousands of people attended the funeral prayers, and ahead of the ritual, they chanted anti-India slogans like “Delhi or Dhaka - Dhaka, Dhaka” and “brother Hadi’s blood will not be allowed to go in vain”.
Indian visa applications in Chittagong, Bangladesh, are suspended indefinitely due to security concerns following a recent incident.
www.thehindu.com
The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has arrested a member of India's Border Security Force (BSF) after he crossed into Bangladeshi territory.
The incident took place early on Sunday near the Patgram border in Lalmonirhat district, according to the BGB. The BSF constable was stopped by a routine patrol after crossing about 50 to 100 metres inside Bangladesh.
BGB officials said the detained man, identified as Ved Prakash of the BSF’s 174th Battalion, told officers he had lost his way in dense fog while chasing cattle smugglers.
The BGB said the constable was being held at a local border outpost along with his service weapon, ammunition and other equipment.
In a statement, the force said Indian border authorities had been informed and acknowledged the mistake, expressing regret and requesting his return.
The BGB added that a battalion-level flag meeting had been proposed to resolve the matter in line with bilateral border agreements and international law.
A senior BGB officer said discussions were continuing with Indian counterparts and further details would be shared later.
BGB Sector Commander Lt Col Selim Al Deen said, “We’re continuing to contact the higher-ups of the BSF. Details will be shared with you later.”
A BGB patrol team detained the BSF member after he entered Bangladeshi territory
bdnews24.com
Bangladesh Road Transport Authority (BRTA) Chairman Abu Mumtaz Saad Uddin has finally disclosed with confirmation that the country’s driving licences were previously issued through a company based in Madras, India, and announced that the process will now be brought under local control.
Speaking on Monday evening, December 22, at a cheque distribution ceremony for road accident victims in Narayanganj, the BRTA chief said the authority’s licence issuance work had been handled by an Indian company operating from Madras. He noted that the contract with the firm expired in July this year.
“The company applied for a two-year extension, but we did not respond,” he said. “We want our sovereignty to remain in our own hands. The work will now be assigned to a locally owned company.”
The remarks came nearly two months after an investigative report by DigiBanglaTech.news raised questions over whether BRTA smart cards were being printed following instructions from Madras.
digibanglatech.news
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