Bangladesh Protests Over Job Quotas: India Expresses Concern, Ensures Safety of Nationals

Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh expressed hopes that the Bangladesh government will resolve the ongoing protests over the job quota system. He emphasized it's an internal matter for Bangladesh while assuring that India will ensure the safety of its nationals amidst the unrest.

Terming the ongoing protests in Bangladesh against the quota system in government jobs as an "internal matter" of the neighboring country, Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, expressed hope that the Sheikh Hasina-led government will resolve the matter soon. He also described the current situation as "worrying" and stressed that student issues should always be addressed.

Speaking to ANI, Singh stated, "This is a worrying issue. Students' issues should always be heard, and we are hopeful that the Bangladesh government will resolve this matter soon." He added, "The Bangladeshi Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, has been in power for several terms. She would surely restore normalcy after discussions and deliberations."

Singh further emphasized that this issue is an "internal matter" of Bangladesh, and India will not intervene. "We don't want to meddle in the private affairs of the country...I wish the issue be resolved soon," he remarked.

The protests in Bangladesh have centered on demands for reform of the country's quota system for civil service jobs, which reserves positions for specific groups, including descendants of those who participated in the 1971 War of Independence against Pakistan. In response, Bangladesh has imposed a curfew and disabled mobile internet services nationwide to curb disinformation, reported The Washington Post. This has caused significant difficulties for residents.

The Minister of State reiterated that India will facilitate the return of Indian students if necessary. "No matter what, they will rescue Indians stuck abroad. We will rescue all Indians from outside if needs be so," Singh affirmed.

Earlier, the Indian High Commission in Dhaka has been coordinating with local authorities in Bangladesh to provide adequate security to students keen on returning to India, sources said on Friday. The Indian mission, in coordination with the BSF and the Bureau of Immigration, is facilitating the travel of Indian students back to India from Bangladesh.

As the situation in Bangladesh amid the anti-quota protests continues to escalate, several Bangladeshi nationals have arrived in India. Shubham Saha, an Indian resident who traveled from Bangladesh through the Akhaura Integrated Checkpost in Tripura, stated that the internet shutdown is complicating matters for them.

"The network is completely cut off there. This doesn't happen in India across the country. Moreover, because of the protests, the cab fares have skyrocketed. It normally costs BDT (Bangladeshi Taka) 200 for me to reach here from Babonbariya. But today, the driver charged me BDT 1,000," Saha reported. He added that the situation is exceptionally challenging for Hindus over there.

Amid the ongoing countrywide protests in Bangladesh against job quotas, the Border Security Forces (BSF) conducted security checks at the Indian Immigration check post in Fulbari, Jalpaiguri. A total of 245 Indian nationals, including 125 Indian nationals and 13 Nepali students, arrived on Friday through the Gede border crossing in West Bengal.

"The situation is fine in India. But, in Bangladesh, if a Hindu tries to perform a puja, it is disrupted. For example, last time when someone tried to organize a rath yatra, others threw boiling hot water from rooftops," he said. Another Bangladeshi man, who entered India, complained of the harsh conditions there.

He stated, "It is difficult for us even to step out of the house. There is no mobile network and we're all left in a limbo." Mohammed Mehdi Hasan Khan, a Bangladeshi resident, described the situation as very grim. "I came here to India on a medical visa for my mother's treatment. We have a family business back home," he told ANI.

Khan added, "The country is in big trouble. Since the network is off, we cannot access news and know what is happening around us."

(With inputs from agencies.)