1,000 Indians return from Bangladesh as protests claim 115 lives
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has announced the safe return of 778 Indian students from Bangladesh, bringing the total number of returnees to 998. Another 4,000 students remain at various universities across Bangladesh. The MEA added that it is working closely with civil aviation, immigration, land ports, and the Border Security Force (BSF) to facilitate a smooth journey for Indian nationals.
Why does this story matter?
Cities across Bangladesh have been rocked by violent protests since last month. The unrest was triggered by the government's decision to reserve up to 30% of government jobs for relatives of veterans from the country's 1971 war of independence against Pakistan. This quota system was abolished in 2018 but was reinstated last month by a court order declaring its abolition illegal. Last week, the Supreme Court suspended the high court's order for four weeks, but the student protests continued.
115 people dead so far
As of Saturday, at least 115 people have been reported dead due to the violence. According to details provided to AFP by hospital staff, police fire caused more than half of the deaths documented so far this week. "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.
Government websites, TV remain offline
Government websites remain offline, while prominent newspapers, including the Dhaka Tribune and Daily Star, have been unable to update their social media platforms since Thursday, when authorities ordered a statewide internet shutdown. Bangladesh Television, the state broadcaster, is also offline after protesters set fire to its headquarters in Dhaka on the same day. Bus and train services have also been halted, while photographs from Dhaka show a huge number of police in riot gear on the streets.
Students chant 'merit, merit' on streets
On Friday, a handful of parents joined students chanting "merit, merit" and "we won't let the blood that has been shed of our brothers go in vain" outside Dhaka University. The students argue that the quota system is discriminatory and are demanding merit-based recruitment. A nationwide curfew was later imposed after the police failed to contain the unrest in the country. The army would be deployed to the streets to restore order, government Press Secretary Naeemul Islam Khan said.
