Over 6,700 Indian students return home amidst turmoil in Bangladesh

New Delhi, July 25: "Over 6,700 Indian students have safely travelled back home from Bangladesh," said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). "The High Commission, in close collaboration with local authorities, ensured their safety and security during travel and offered necessary assistance. We appreciate the cooperation extended by the Bangladesh government. Our High Commission and Assistant High Commissions are operating 24x7 helplines to support and assist our nationals."

Bangladesh, after a week of tense situations, strikes, and curfews, is slowly returning to normalcy. However, schools and colleges remain closed. Today, Dhaka saw the return of usual traffic snarls as the curfew, imposed last Friday night due to violence over quota reform protests, was relaxed for seven hours.

Both private and government offices, including banks, opened for a limited period, leading to long queues outside banks as citizens rushed to withdraw money following an internet shutdown that lasted six days.

Commenting on the developments in Bangladesh, MEA spokesperson Jaiswal said, "We are aware of the situation in Bangladesh and have been closely following the developments there. India considers the ongoing situation to be an internal matter of Bangladesh. With the support and cooperation of the Bangladesh government, we were able to arrange for the safe return of our students. Being a close neighbour with warm and friendly ties, we are hopeful that the situation will return to normal soon."

In response to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's recent declaration about providing shelter to refugees from Bangladesh, the Bangladesh government formally expressed its objections. Officials fear such an announcement could be exploited by terrorists. At a rally on July 21, Banerjee stated, "I cannot speak anything about Bangladesh as it is another country. The Indian government will speak about that. But if helpless people from Bangladesh knock on Bengal's door, we will give them shelter."

Upon receiving communication from Bangladesh regarding Banerjee's comments, the MEA spokesperson confirmed, "I can confirm that we have received such communication from the Bangladesh side. It is essentially on the lines described in the reports. I would underline that under the 7th Schedule, List 1 - Union List, Item 10, of our Constitution, the conduct of foreign affairs and all matters which bring the Union into relation with any foreign country, are the sole prerogative of the Union Government."

The MEA has been coordinating with relevant Indian authorities to ensure smooth passage for citizens at land ports and airports. Additionally, the High Commission in Dhaka is working with Bangladesh's civil aviation authorities and commercial airlines to ensure the availability of flight services between India and Bangladesh.

The High Commission of India in Dhaka and the Assistant High Commissions of India in Bangladesh are available to assist Indian nationals through the emergency contact numbers provided on their website.

Earlier, violent clashes across the country resulted in over 100 deaths. Previously, one-third of public sector jobs were reserved for relatives of veterans from the 1971 war for independence from Pakistan. Recently, Bangladesh's Supreme Court abolished most of the quotas in government jobs. The new ruling now stipulates that only 5% of these roles can be reserved for veterans' relatives and 2% for ethnic minorities or people with disabilities.

Despite being one of the world's fastest-growing economies, Bangladesh's growth has not created sufficient job opportunities for university graduates. It is estimated that around 18 million young Bangladeshis are seeking employment, with university graduates facing higher unemployment rates than their less-educated counterparts.