Over 6700 Indian Students Return from Bangladesh Amid Protests

More than 6700 Indian students have returned from Bangladesh with the support of the Bangladeshi government. The Indian High Commission organized their safe travel amid ongoing protests in Bangladesh over civil service quota reforms, leading to violence and curfews.

More than 6700 Indian students have returned to India from Bangladesh with excellent cooperation from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government, according to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal. Addressing a weekly media briefing, Jaiswal stated that India's High Commission ensured the safe travel of Indians to border points or airports.

Jaiswal confirmed that the Indian High Commission and Assistant High Commissions have been operating 24/7 helplines to assist nationals. 'Both our High Commission and Assistant High Commissions are operating 24/7 helplines, and all students and nationals can reach out for help,' he said, adding that the situation in Bangladesh is expected to normalize soon.

Protests in Bangladesh erupted over demands to reform the quota system for civil service jobs, which include allocations for descendants of 1971 war veterans. The unrest led to violence, including attacks on state television headquarters and police booths, enforcing a curfew, and school closures. Bangladesh's Supreme Court intervened, reducing the quota for war veterans' relatives, as reported by Al Jazeera.

(With inputs from agencies.)