Describing the violent protests in Bangladesh as an “internal” matter of that country, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Friday that there were around 15,000 Indians, including 8,500 students, currently residing there and they were all safe. Till 8 pm on Friday, 245 Indians, including 125 students, returned to India, sources said, adding the Indian High Commission also facilitated the return of 13 Nepali students. The violence, which has so far led to at least 25 deaths across the country, prompted the Bangladesh Government to close all universities, schools and colleges for an indefinite period from July 16. Residential students were asked to leave their dormitories. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was following the matter closely, Jaiswal said, adding that India was committed to providing “all possible assistance to our nationals in Bangladesh”. “As you are aware, there are ongoing protests in Bangladesh. We see this as an internal matter of the country. We have issued an advisory for Indian nationals, including our students, resident in Bangladesh for their safety and assistance if required. Helpline numbers are activated operating on a 24x7 basis for people to reach out,” Jaiswal said. “Our High Commission will be providing regular updates. I will also be posting regular updates. I would urge family members to follow us for the latest developments,” he added. On Thursday, the Indian High Commission in Dhaka asked Indian nationals living in the country to avoid travel and minimise their movement. Bangladeshi students have been protesting to demand reforms in the country’s quota system in government jobs, which reserves a third of the posts for the relatives of the veterans of the 1971 war for independence. The students have called this system discriminatory and instead asked for merit-based recruitment.
