The Indian High Commission in Dhaka has issued an urgent advisory for Indian nationals and students in Bangladesh, urging them to avoid non-essential travel and to minimize movement outside their homes due to increasing unrest in the country.
This advisory follows recent violent clashes between students and police in Dhaka after the Bangladeshi government decided to shut down all public and private universities.
For emergencies or assistance, please contact the High Commission and our Assistant High Commissions at the following 24-hour emergency numbers:
High Commission of India, Dhaka: +880-1937400591 (available on WhatsApp)
Assistant High Commission of India, Chittagong: +880-1814654797 / +880-1814654799 (available on WhatsApp)
Assistant High Commission of India, Rajshahi: +880-1788148696 (available on WhatsApp)
Assistant High Commission of India, Sylhet: +880-1313076411 (available on WhatsApp)
Assistant High Commission of India, Khulna: +880-1812817799 (available on WhatsApp)
The protests are a result of calls for reform in the country’s civil service job quota system, which allocates positions to certain groups, including the descendants of those who fought in the 1971 war of independence against Pakistan.
On Thursday, the situation escalated as students and law enforcement clashed at multiple locations in Dhaka leading to several injuries. By late morning, the police had used tear gas to disperse protesters, causing significant traffic disruptions, as reported by local news sources.
The demonstrations started as a reaction to alleged police brutality and have since expanded into wider calls for justice for those harmed or deceased in earlier protests, alongside demands for a non-violent campus and sensible reforms to the quota system, according to the Dhaka Tribune.
The latest protests are driven by discontent with Bangladesh’s quota system, which reserves a substantial portion of civil service jobs for certain groups. This system has been a source of controversy in Bangladesh for a long time, with the ongoing protests expressing longstanding grievances regarding both the quota system and law enforcement’s handling of peaceful student protests.
Also Read: Six Killed, Over 100 Injured in Bangladesh in Clashes Over Govt Jobs Quota