Indian Students Flee Bangladesh Amid Violent Protests, BSF Assists Evacuation

Due to escalating protests in Bangladesh over job quotas, Indian and Nepalese students are returning to India with the help of the BSF. Essential arrangements and coordination have been made to ensure their safe arrival. The protests have led to severe unrest, prompting nationwide curfews and shutdowns.

Amid escalating protests in Bangladesh against job quotas, Indian students have been making their way back to India through Tripura. The Border Security Force (BSF) has stepped in to assist the return of around 100 students with valid documents on Saturday. Among them are citizens from Nepal, with more students expected to return soon. Patel Piyush Purushottam Das, Inspector General of BSF Tripura Frontier, has assured all possible assistance and has engaged with Border Guards Bangladesh for cooperation.

The BSF has set up necessary arrangements, including refreshments and transport, at the integrated check post to facilitate the smooth arrival and onward journey of these students. Bangladesh imposed a nationwide curfew on Friday evening after clashes between police and student groups resulted in dozens of casualties, according to The Washington Post.

The protests in Bangladesh are in reaction to a new policy reserving a portion of government jobs for descendants of the nation's freedom fighters from the 1971 War of Independence against Pakistan. The students demand reform of the civil service job quota system, leading to violent confrontations.

Protesters attacked the state television headquarters in Dhaka and set fire to police booths on Thursday, calling for a 'complete shutdown' of the country. In response to the violence, authorities have shut down schools and universities indefinitely and disabled mobile and internet services nationwide, The Washington Post reported.

The Indian High Commission in Dhaka is working with local authorities to ensure the security of students eager to travel back to India. The Indian mission, along with BSF and the Bureau of Immigration, is facilitating the safe return of Indian students from Bangladesh.