The visa sections of three Bangladesh missions in India have been closed temporarily on security grounds, Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain said on Friday.

“What I have done is that I have asked our three missions to keep their visa sections closed for the time being. It’s a security issue,” he told reporters at the foreign ministry, responding to a question on whether Bangladesh missions in India had restricted tourist visas for Indians.

He did not name the missions. However, diplomatic sources said the visa sections of the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi, the Deputy High Commission in Kolkata, and the Bangladesh Assistant High Commission in Agartala have been closed.

The visa sections at Bangladesh missions in Chennai and Mumbai, however, remain operational, sources said.

Over the past few weeks, protests have taken place near Bangladesh missions in India.

Following the ouster of the Awami League regime, the Indian High Commission restricted tourist visas to Bangladeshis, citing security concerns.

Touhid was also asked about the dropping of Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman from the Indian Premier League amid anti-Bangladesh protests in India, and Bangladesh’s decision not to send the national cricket team to India for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

The adviser said he fully supported Sports Adviser Asif Nazrul’s stance on not sending the team to India for safety reasons and demanding that Bangladesh’s matches be relocated to co-host Sri Lanka.

“We will certainly play outside India,” Touhid said.

He added that both players and supporters would have to travel to India and said the government must consider their security.

Asked about the impact on bilateral relations, Touhid said such issues arise from time to time and each has some impact.

He said Bangladesh would take decisions based on its national interest.

“We have an interest in our players’ safety in not sending them to India. If we have interest in buying rice from India, we will buy it,” he added.

This article was originally published on The Daily Star, an ANN partner of Dawn.