Bangladesh Protests: 778 Indian students return home as violent protests claim over 100 lives

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Saturday that 778 Indian students have safely returned from Bangladesh via land ports. This brings the total number of returnees to 998. The MEA stated that the High Commission in Dhaka, along with the Assistant High Commissions, is in regular contact with more than 4,000 students still in various universities in Bangladesh. They are providing necessary assistance to ensure the students' safety.

To ensure safe travel, security escorts have been arranged for road travel through select land ports. The High Commission in Dhaka is also working with Bangladeshi civil aviation authorities and commercial airlines to maintain flight services without interruption.

Update on return of Indian Nationals in Bangladesh:https://t.co/uR41LSSc7O pic.twitter.com/GRWIWJAAiu

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) July 20, 2024

Dhaka has been under curfew following violent protests led by students against government job quotas. According to reports, at least 115 people have died this week due to the unrest.

The protests began because of anger over government job quotas, including a 30% allocation for the families of those who fought for independence from Pakistan. 

Although the quota system was scrapped in 2018, a court reinstated it last month. This decision has caused widespread dissatisfaction among the youth, who are already facing high unemployment rates.