Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, July 22: At least 200 students mostly studying in various Medical Colleges across Bangladesh returned home in Jammu and Kashmir over the past few days and more are on the way as authorities in the neighbouring country imposed a nationwide curfew in the wake of the deadly unrest against a quota system for Government jobs.
An official said that over 3500 students from Jammu and Kashmir are presently studying in Bangladesh with the majority of them pursuing MBBS.
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The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is facilitating the process with the Border Security Force (BSF), providing food, refreshments, water and other assistance at border check posts.
The Jammu & Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) today said that all Kashmiri students stranded in Bangladesh amid violence have started returning to their native places and are safe.
In a statement, National Convenor of the Association, Nasir Khuehami, said that the association is in constant touch with the MEA, ensuring the safe return of our students from Bangladesh. “They returned through the Akhaura ICP and Benapole, entering India through the Srimantapur ICP and Haridaspur ICP, respectively,” he said.
“Medical camps have been set up to address any health concerns of the returning students. We thank the MEA and BSF for their efforts and for prioritizing the safety of our students. The coordinated efforts ensured their safe return, providing significant relief to both students and their families back in Kashmir.”
“We hope the MEA will take more concrete steps, in coordination with the concerned Indian embassy in Bangladesh and the local Government, to evacuate the remaining stranded students so that both students and their distressed parents will get the relief they need,” he asserted.
Khuehami added that Kashmiri student Hadiya Rafiq, who was in distress after her passport was stolen in Bangladesh and was denied entry at the Petrapol, Kolkata border, was allowed to cross safely and reached her native place in Budgam, Srinagar after the matter was raised with the MEA.
Member of Parliament (MP) and National Conference leader Mian Altaf Ahmad has expressed concern over the situation arising in Bangladesh and have sought the help of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Government of India to ensure the safety of students from Kashmir stuck in protests-hit Bangladesh.
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