A total of 186 people stranded in violence-hit Bangladesh returned to India on Saturday via the Dawki integrated check post in Meghalaya’s West Jaintia Hills district. Among them, 40 students reached Assam.
Of the returnees, 98 are from Nepal, and 88 from India, including eight students from Meghalaya. Over the past three days, 856 people from India, Nepal, and Bhutan, mostly students, have crossed into India from Bangladesh due to ongoing agitation there, according to a senior home department official.
The Meghalaya government has activated a helpline for those affected by the violence in Bangladesh and seeking assistance. Violence escalated in Dhaka and other areas over student protests demanding reforms to the quota system for government jobs, which reserves up to 30% of jobs for relatives of veterans from the 1971 war of independence.
More than 40 students from Assam have returned from Bangladesh since the violence began, officials in Guwahati said on Saturday. The Assam government is in contact with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to ensure the safety of its residents in Bangladesh.
“By July 19, 41 students from Assam were safely repatriated from Bangladesh via the Sutarkandi integrated check post amid violent protests,” stated a post on the Karimganj district commissioner’s Facebook page. The Karimganj DC and the superintendent of police have visited the ICP at Sutarkandi to interact with the students and inquire about their well-being.
Deputy Commissioner Mridul Yadav said more students are expected to return through the border point. “The district administration is prepared to help them. A magistrate and deputy superintendent of police are stationed at the border 24/7 until the situation stabilizes,” he said, adding that no tension is anticipated in the border area as the problems in Bangladesh are internal matters.
Some students from Dhubri have reportedly crossed into West Bengal and are expected to reach their home district by train later on Saturday. The state government is in constant touch with the MEA to coordinate the safe return of citizens. Those wishing to return can contact the @ihcdhaka helpline at +880-1937400591, as stated by the Chief Minister’s Office on X.
The state government has not yet provided the number of Assam residents in Bangladesh or whether any have sought safe evacuation. Meanwhile, Tipra Motha leader Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma urged the Centre to enhance vigilance along the border with violence-hit Bangladesh. Tripura shares an 856 km-long border with the neighboring country.
“History shows us that whenever there has been unrest in East Pakistan/Bangladesh, Tripura has suffered the most. I appeal to the Government of India to ensure that border vigilance is at the highest alert. The GoI should constitutionally secure the indigenous population for future generations,” Debbarma said on Facebook, noting that instability in Bangladesh affects bordering northeastern states like Tripura, Assam, and Meghalaya.
