Indian Residents in Bangladesh Advised to Avoid Travel Due to Anti-Quota Protests

Indian Residents in Bangladesh Advised to Avoid Travel Due to Anti-Quota Protests

Six people died in violent protests over government job quotas, leading India to issue a safety advisory for its citizens in Bangladesh on Thursday.

The Indian High Commission in Dhaka advised Indian residents and students to avoid travel and stay indoors due to the unrest.

This advisory came after two days of spreading and escalating protests over job quotas.

The high commission provided 24-hour emergency contact numbers for assistance. According to their website, about 7,000 Indians live in Bangladesh.

On Wednesday, authorities ordered all universities to close by nightfall following violent demonstrations that left six people dead. The protests were demanding job quotas based on faith or wealth, and clashes with police occurred.

Violence broke out in the capital Dhaka, as well as in Chattogram and Rangpur. Student protesters clashed with pro-government student activists and police, who used tear gas against stone-throwing students.

Last month, protests began against a quota system that reserved thirty percent of public jobs for veterans' families. The situation escalated, leading to intense clashes at Dhaka University where around a hundred people were injured.

Advisory on the ongoing situation in Bangladesh. pic.twitter.com/mjXouAST2M

— India in Bangladesh (@ihcdhaka) July 18, 2024