Cooch Behar: As many as 13 students have arrived in India from violence-hit Bangladesh, which included one from Assam, one from Bhutan, one from the Maldives and ten from Nepal. This came after sources informed the Indian High Commission in Dhaka on Friday that it is coordinating with local authorities to facilitate the travel of those willing to come to India.
Significantly, the sources also informed that as of 8 PM on July 19, a total of 245 Indian nationals, including 125 Indian students, have safely reached Indian soil as the South Asian country plunged into deadly chaos this week, with over 100 deaths reported due to escalating violence.
The Indian High Commission is coordinating with the BSF and the Bureau of Immigration, which is facilitating Indian students travelling back to India from Bangladesh, three border crossings, (including Benapole-Petrapole, Gede-Darshana, and Akhaura-Agartala), are also presently open for students and Indian nationals willing to arrive in India.
Indian nationals 'safe and sound'
It is pertinent to note that this significant development comes hours after the Ministry of External Affairs said all Indian nationals are "safe and sound" in Bangladesh, while adding that they are in touch with the appropriate authorities. The Ministry called the ongoing unrest in Bangladesh the country's internal matter.
"All our Indian nationals are safe there. We have a large student community of 8,500 students and 15,000 Indian nationals residing in Bangladesh; many of them pursue medical education in that country. They are all safe and sound, and they are in touch with our High Commission and our Assistant High Commission as well," said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
He further also informed that External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar is monitoring the situation and the High Commission will be giving regular updates about the situation there. Police and security officials in Bangladesh fired bullets and tear gas at protesters and banned all gatherings in the capital on Friday amid violent protests in several areas.
What is happening in Bangladesh?
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government imposed a nationwide curfew and ordered the deployment of military forces to maintain order after deadly clashes over the quota system in government jobs escalated on Friday as protesters stormed a jail in Narsingdi on Friday, freeing hundreds of inmates before setting the facility ablaze.
The announcement was made by Obaidul Quader, the general secretary of the ruling Awami League party, and came after police and security officials fired on protesters on Friday and banned all gatherings in the capital. The death count in days of violent protests across Bangladesh has now reached 105, as per media reports. Police fired tear gas to scatter protesters in some areas as fire and smoke were visible from rooftops in the capital Dhaka.
Initially sparked by discontent over government job quotas, the protests have expanded to a broader movement against Hasina's government, driven by economic issues such as high inflation, unemployment, and shrinking foreign exchange reserves.
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