Crisis Exodus: Hundreds Seek Refuge from Violent Bangladesh Protests

Over 360 citizens from India, Nepal, and Bhutan fled to Meghalaya from Bangladesh on Friday due to rising violence amid student protests. This influx increased the state's total refugees to over 670. The Meghalaya government has activated a helpline for its citizens trapped in Bangladesh.

On Friday, over 360 citizens from India, Nepal, and Bhutan crossed into Meghalaya from violence-stricken Bangladesh, bringing the total number of refugees to more than 670, officials reported.

A senior home department official confirmed that 363 people arrived in Meghalaya via the Dawki Integrated Check Post, comprising 204 Indians, 158 Nepalese, and one Bhutanese national.

Among these, 80 Meghalaya residents, primarily students, have also crossed back into the state, with 13 making their way home on Friday.

The Meghalaya government has set up a helpline, 1800-345-3644, to assist its citizens in Bangladesh amidst the escalating violence.

The unrest in Bangladesh surged due to student protests in Dhaka and other regions, demanding reforms in the government job quota system. Contradictory reports emerged regarding the casualties from the violence on Friday.

The protests aim to abolish the quota system reserving up to 30 per cent of government jobs for descendants of veterans of Bangladesh's 1971 independence war against Pakistan.