The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India announced on Saturday that 778 Indian students have safely returned from Bangladesh through land ports. This brings the total number of returnees to 998.
The MEA mentioned that the Indian High Commission in Dhaka and the Assistant High Commissions in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet, and Khulna have been working hard to help Indian students return home amid the ongoing unrest in Bangladesh.
The High Commission of India in Dhaka is in close contact with over 4,000 Indian students who are still studying at various universities in Bangladesh. They are providing all necessary assistance to these students. Security escorts have been arranged to ensure safe travel by road during the repatriation process through specific land ports.
In addition, the High Commission is coordinating with Bangladeshi civil aviation authorities and commercial airlines to keep flight services running smoothly.
The capital city of Dhaka has been under curfew following deadly student-led protests against government job quotas. According to reports from police and hospitals, at least 115 people have died in these protests this week. The protests started due to anger over government job quotas, which include a 30% allocation for families of those who fought for independence from Pakistan.
Although this quota system was scrapped in 2018, it was reinstated by a court last month, leading to widespread dissatisfaction among the youth, who are struggling with high unemployment rates.
Responding to the unrest, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government has deployed the military and imposed a nationwide curfew. Although the curfew was briefly lifted for two hours on Saturday, it is set to last until 10 a.m. on Sunday, after which the government will review the situation.
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Reports indicate that more than half of the deaths this week have been caused by police fire. Hospital staff described the severe injuries to AFP, highlighting the violent response to the protests.
Babu Ram Pant of Amnesty International condemned the rising death toll, stating, “The rising death toll is a shocking indictment of the absolute intolerance shown by the Bangladeshi authorities to protest and dissent.”
The situation in Bangladesh remains tense, and the Indian authorities are doing their best to ensure the safety and well-being of Indian students in the country.
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