Bangladesh Protests: Over 4,500 Indian Students Return, MEA Confirms As Death Toll In Unrest Rises To 151

Amidst Bangladesh unrest, over 4,500 Indian students have returned home while protests have led to 151 deaths in the neighbouring country.

Bangladesh Protests: Amidst unrest in Bangladesh, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Sunday confirmed that over 4,500 Indian students have safely returned to India. The High Commission of India in Dhaka, along with the Assistant High Commissions in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet, and Khulna, have been instrumental in facilitating the safe return of Indian nationals over the past two days.

In a statement, the MEA highlighted the comprehensive efforts undertaken to ensure the secure passage of Indian citizens. "The High Commission has been making arrangements for security escorts for the safe travel of Indian nationals to the border-crossing points," the statement read. The Ministry has also been coordinating with relevant Indian authorities to ensure smooth transit at land-ports and airports. Additionally, collaboration with Bangladesh's civil aviation authorities and commercial airlines has been prioritised to maintain the availability of flight services between the two nations.

The MEA also mentioned the safe arrival of 500 Nepali students, 38 Bhutanese students, and one Maldivian student in India. The High Commission and the Assistant High Commissions remain in regular contact with local authorities to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals. They are also consistently communicating with remaining students in various Bangladeshi universities and other Indian nationals regarding their welfare and assistance needs.

Bangladesh Protests: Violent Clashes Have Claimed 151 Lives So Far, Curfew Continues

The return of Indian nationals comes in the wake of nationwide protests in Bangladesh, sparked by controversial civil service hiring rules. The protests, led by university students, have resulted in violent clashes that have claimed 151 lives, news agency AFP reported. Demonstrations began over politicised admission quotas for coveted government jobs but have since evolved into some of the most severe unrest during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's tenure.

As unrest intensified, the Supreme Court of Bangladesh expedited its ruling on the legality of the hiring scheme, declaring the lower bench's order to reintroduce the scheme "illegal." Despite reducing the reserved jobs from 56% to 7%, the ruling did not fully satisfy the protesters' demands, AFP's report mentioned.

A spokesman for Students Against Discrimination, the group leading the protests, expressed conditional acceptance of the court's decision. "We welcome the Supreme Court verdict," he told AFP, requesting anonymity. "But we won't call off our protests until the government issues an order reflecting our demands."

Bangladesh's Home Minister, Asaduzzaman Khan, announced the continuation of the curfew imposed on Saturday "until the situation improves." He attributed the violence, including arson attacks on government buildings and police posts, to the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Islamist party Jamaat, accusing them of targeting the government, AFP reported