Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on July 19 sought the Centre’s help to evacuate students from the State stranded in violence-hit Bangladesh.
More than 400 students and tourists from India, Bhutan, and Nepal have been evacuated through Dawki on the Meghalaya-Bangladesh border over the past 48 hours, officials in Shillong said.
“I have spoken with Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita for the evacuation of the students. He said the Centre is on the job of evacuating many boys and girls from Assam studying in the medical colleges of Bangladesh,” the Chief Minister told journalists.
Ruhul Amin, Bangladesh Assistant High Commissioner in Guwahati, said the Assam government contacted him for help to evacuate the students from the State. “I have not been able to follow it up as there is a blackout of internet and phone services in Bangladesh,” he said.
In June, students in Bangladesh began protesting against the system of reserving up to 30% of government jobs for the family members of veterans who fought in the country’s liberation war of 1971. They have been demanding that jobs should be purely based on merit.
Kashmiri students evacuated from Bangladesh via Dawki in Meghalaya. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The movement took a violent turn this week after students of Dhaka University clashed with the police and the supporters of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League. More than 100 people were injured in the clashes.
Officials in Meghalaya said more than 300 people were evacuated via Dawki till Thursday. More students students crossed over on Friday.
Among the 202 Indians — four of them tourists — who were evacuated on Thursday, 67 were from Meghalaya. The foreign students evacuated through Dawki comprised 95 from Nepal and seven from Bhutan. The Indian students evacuated on Friday included 13 Kashmiris.
A statement from the Meghalaya government said officials were in constant touch with the Bangladesh High Commission and the Indian High Commission apart from the Land Port Authority at Dawki and the Exporters’ Association to ensure the safety of the students.
