All Indians in Bangladesh are safe, says MEA; calls protests an internal matter
The violence erupted in Bangladesh on Tuesday and flared up again on Thursday during a nationwide shutdown called by the protesters
NEW DELHI: India on Friday declined to comment on violent protests against government job quotas in Bangladesh but said around 15,000 Indian nationals living in the neighbouring country were all “safe and sound”.
Cities across Bangladesh, including the capital Dhaka, have been rocked this week by violence between protesters opposed to the job quotas and pro-government student groups and police. The violence erupted on Tuesday and flared up again on Thursday during a nationwide shutdown called by the protesters. Around 30 people have died and hundreds more were injured.
“We see this as an internal matter of Bangladesh,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a regular media briefing while responding to questions on how India views the violent protests.
The total number of Indian nationals in Bangladesh is estimated to be around 15,000, including 8,500 students, and there have been no reports of Indian casualties. “All our Indian nationals are safe there. We have a large student community, many of them pursue medical education in that country,” Jaiswal said.
“They are all safe and sound. They are in touch with our high commission and assistant high commissions and we are in regular touch with them to render any assistance that they may need,” he added.
Following the unrest and protests in Bangladesh, the Indian high commission issued an advisory on Thursday that urged Indians to avoid travel and remain indoors. Indian nationals have also been asked to be in touch with the high commission so that it can render any assistance they may need, Jaiswal said.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar is also monitoring the situation and the high commission in Dhaka is providing regular updates on the situation. “We remain committed to provide all possible assistance to our nationals,” Jaiswal said.
Asked about the snapping of mobile internet services and telecommunications by the Bangladesh government, Jaiswal said authorities in Dhaka had taken some steps because of the protests but “telecommunications were working and we are in touch with our people through that medium”.
Helpline numbers operating round the clock have been set up for people to reach out for any help. “I would urge family members of Indians in Bangladesh to follow us for latest developments,” he said.
Websites of leading English dailies in Dhaka remained inaccessible on Friday and it was not possible to reach mobile phones or WhatsApp numbers in Bangladesh because of the restrictions imposed by authorities on communications.
The Bangladesh government scrapped the job quotas, which mainly benefit the children of veterans of the 1971 war of liberation, but they were reinstated by the high court in June this year. The court’s verdict triggered the protests. The Supreme Court is set to hear petitions challenging the high court’s ruling on Sunday.
People familiar with the matter said there were concerns on the Indian side that the protests could be infiltrated by hardliners and extremist elements opposed to the government of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
