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Nearly 1,000 Indians return from violence-hit Bangladesh: MEA
The Indian high commission in Dhaka and the assistant high commissions in Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi and Sylhet are in “regular touch with more than 4,000 students remaining in various universities in Bangladesh and are providing necessary assistance”
Nearly 1,000 Indian nationals, mainly students, have returned home via land border crossings or flights from Bangladesh, where violent protests against job quotas have left more than 100 people dead.
Curfew has been imposed across Bangladesh since Friday, and the army has been deployed following clashes between protesters opposing the quotas in government jobs and pro-government student groups and police.
Scores of deaths have been reported from cities across Bangladesh since Tuesday, and 56 people died on Friday alone in clashes that occurred during a shutdown called by the protesters.
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A total of 778 Indian students returned home through various land border crossings, and around 200 students came back on regular flight services through Dhaka and Chittagong airports, the external affairs ministry said in a statement.
The Indian high commission in Dhaka and the assistant high commissions in Chittagong, Khulna, Rajshahi and Sylhet are in “regular touch with more than 4,000 students remaining in various universities in Bangladesh and are providing necessary assistance”.
The Indian side is also assisting students from Nepal and Bhutan “with their crossing into India on request”, the statement said.
The external affairs ministry had said on Friday that there are an estimated 15,000 Indians, including around 8,500 students, in Bangladesh. The ministry’s spokesperson had also said that all Indians were safe.
The high commission in Dhaka and the four assistant high commissions are coordinating with Bangladeshi authorities to facilitate the safe travel of Indian nationals to crossing points on the international border.
Also Read: Bangladesh shuts universities, colleges indefinitely after protests turn deadly
The external affairs ministry is coordinating with civil aviation, immigration, land ports and Border Security Force (BSF) authorities to ensure smooth passage for Indian citizens.
“The high commission and assistant high commissions are in regular touch with Bangladesh authorities to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals and students. Security escorts have also been arranged, where necessary, for their travel by road during repatriation through select land ports,” the statement said.
The high commission in Dhaka is coordinating with the civil aviation authorities of Bangladesh and commercial airlines to ensure uninterrupted flight services to India from Dhaka and Chittagong, which can be used by Indian nationals to return home.
The external affairs ministry has declined to comment on the violent protests in Bangladesh, describing them as an internal matter of the neighbouring country.
