India on Friday urged its citizens in Bangladesh to follow the advisory issued by the high commission of India in Dhaka amid the on-going students’ protest in the neighboring country.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a social media post that the high commission and the assistant high commissions are available for any help required by the Indian nationals in Bangladesh.
Indian nationals in Bangladesh have been advised to stay indoors and avoid any unwanted travels by the High Commission.
“In view of the ongoing situation in Bangladesh, the Indian community members and the Indian students residing in Bangladesh are advised to avoid travel and minimize their movement outside their living premises,” the Indian High Commission in Dhaka said in the official advisory.
According to news reports, at least 39 people have been killed in the violence this week including 32 on Thursday.
The demonstrators, who are on a nationwide strike against the government’s job quota system, torched several government buildings and a nationwide internet blackout was put into effect by the government.
Over 2500 have been injured with hundreds of university students holding rallies in Dhaka for weeks protesting the Bangladesh’s reservation system in public sector jobs.
Half of the government jobs are reserved for specific groups, including children of war veterans of the 1971 liberation war against Pakistan.
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In 2018, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had decided to scrap this reservation system following protests.
However, in June this year, the Bangladesh high court overturned this decision triggering student outrage.
The Supreme Court would hear the matter on August 7 after the government appeal to the high courts’ decision.
The situation in Bangladesh got worse following PM’s refusal to meet student demands.
A day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina appeared on the state TV network seeking to calm the escalating clashes, the protesters set fire to the country’s broadcaster.
