Bangladesh Unrest: 14 Gujarat Students Return Home Amid Nationwide Curfew

Ahmedabad : As many as 14 students have returned to Gujarat unharmed following the ongoing civil unrest coupled with violent clashes in Bangladesh over the reservation quota in public sector recruitment. 

Authorities in Bangladesh have extended the nationwide curfew indefinitely due to persistent civil unrest following a Supreme Court verdict on July 21. The verdict, which mandated that 93% of public sector recruitment be merit-based, significantly reducing existing quotas, has sparked widespread disruptions and violent clashes throughout the country.

14 students of Gujarat who were trapped there in the current situation in Bangladesh have returned to their homeland unharmed as a result of the immediate coordination carried out by the state government with the Ministry of External Affairs under the direction of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

A total of 14 students  including 7 students from Bharuch district, two students each from Ahmedabad and Bhavnagar and one student each from  Amreli, Mehsana and Patan returned to Gujarat unharmed. 

Chief Minister  Bhupendra Patel has instructed the non-resident Gujarati Foundation of the state to immediately coordinate the arrangements so that the students who have gone to study MBBS in Bangladesh come back to their parents and families free from violence and other incidents there.

The NRG Foundation has announced a helpline number-9978430075 to get the details of the students stranded in Bangladesh. The parents and families of such students have also started calling for details on nrgfoundation@gujarat.gov.in to provide the details of their wards stuck in Bangladesh. 

Official sources said that the NRG Foundation coordinated with the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India and made arrangements to bring the 25 students from Gujarat.

The State Government in consultation with the Central Government has made arrangements to bring back 11 other students to Gujarat. The Union Ministry of External Affairs has also issued an advisory regarding the situation in Bangladesh, requesting the people of the Indian community and students living there not to travel locally and at least to leave their homes.