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The government has facilitated the return of 245 Indian citizens, including 125 students, from Bangladesh after protests against a quota system for government jobs turned deadly. So far, 64 people have been killed as protesters clashed with police and paramilitary forces despite a ban on public gatherings to contain the violence.
On Friday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) labelled the situation in Bangladesh as an "internal matter" but assured that it was closely monitoring the safety of the approximately 15,000 Indians residing there, including 8,500 students.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the Indian High Commission in Dhaka was working with local authorities to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals wishing to return to India.
By 8 pm on Friday, 245 Indians, including 125 students, had returned to India. The Indian High Commission also facilitated the return of 13 Nepali students.
The High Commission, in coordination with the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Bureau of Immigration, has been active in ensuring the safe passage of these students through border crossings such as Benapole-Petrapole, Gede-Darshana and Akhaura-Agartala.
"We see the protests in Bangladesh as an internal matter of the country," Jaiswal said at a media briefing. He added that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was personally overseeing the safety of Indians in Bangladesh.
The MEA has issued an advisory for Indian nationals in Bangladesh to avoid unnecessary travel and stay indoors.
The protests in Bangladesh, primarily led by students, are against the Sheikh Hasina-led government's job quota system, which reserves a significant portion of government jobs for certain groups. This system, the protesters argue, is discriminatory and prevents meritorious candidates from securing government positions.
Last month, Bangladesh’s High Court nullified its decision and reinstated the quotas after relatives of the 1971 Liberation War veterans filed petitions, triggering the latest demonstrations.
The clashes have prompted the Bangladeshi authorities to shut down all public and private educational institutions indefinitely, disrupting the lives of many students, including those from India.
Citizens of India, Nepal and Bhutan crossed into Meghalaya from the violence-affected areas, bringing the total number of people taking refuge in Meghalaya to over 670. The Meghalaya government has also set up a helpline to assist its citizens affected by the violence in Bangladesh.
Among those who returned is Asif Hussain, a medical student from Manikganj district, about 50 km from Dhaka.
Hussain described the experience as harrowing, recalling a six-hour journey under a security escort to the India-Bangladesh border.
"Our college was not directly affected by the violence, but we heard about trouble nearby," he was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters.
Hussain and about 80 other Indian students hired private taxis to travel to the border, where they were met with further delays before finally crossing into India.
The ongoing protests have not only disrupted daily life but also severely affected communication networks, with mobile internet services cut off in many areas.
The Indian High Commission has activated multiple helplines operating round the clock to assist Indian nationals and has been providing regular updates to keep families informed about the situation.
