Nearly 1,000 Indian students return from Bangladesh as protests claim 115 lives

The ministry of external affairs (MEA) on Saturday announced the safe return of 778 Indian students from Bangladesh via land ports, taking the total number of returnees to 998. The ministry said that the High Commission of India in Dhaka, along with the Assistant High Commissions in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet, and Khulna, have been assisting repatriation efforts following the unrest in Bangladesh.

“The High Commission of India in Dhaka and our Assistant High Commissions are in regular touch with more than 4,000 students remaining in various universities in Bangladesh and are providing necessary assistance,” the MEA said in a statement.

Bangladesh unrest escalates: Protesters set jail on fire, free ‘hundreds’ of prisoners

Security escorts have been arranged for safe road travel during repatriation through select land ports and the High Commission in Dhaka is coordinating with Bangladeshi civil aviation authorities and commercial airlines to ensure uninterrupted flight services, according to the ministry.

The capital city of Dhaka has been under curfew following deadly student-led protests against government job quotas, which, according to an AFP count of victims reported by police and hospitals, have resulted in at least 115 fatalities this week.

The protests erupted over anger towards controversial government job quotas, including a 30% allocation for the families of those who fought for independence from Pakistan. Despite the quota system being scrapped in 2018, a court reinstated it last month, leading to widespread discontent among the youth, who face high unemployment rates.

Complete shutdown in Bangladesh as violent protests put PM Hasina in a spot of bother

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government has deployed the military and imposed a nationwide curfew. Although the curfew was briefly lifted for two hours on Saturday, it is set to last until 10 a.m. on Sunday, when the government will reassess the situation.

Police fire was the cause of more than half of the deaths reported so far this week, based on descriptions given to AFP by hospital staff.

"The rising death toll is a shocking indictment of the absolute intolerance shown by the Bangladeshi authorities to protest and dissent," Babu Ram Pant of Amnesty International said in a statement.

With inputs from agencies

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