SHILLONG, July 21: A fresh group of 198 students, including 40 from Meghalaya, have been successfully evacuated from a college in Bangladesh. The group of students reached Shillong at around 11 pm on Sunday.
The 40 students from the state were studying in the same institution. Concerns over their safety were raised by some of the parents, following which prompt action was taken by the authorities to arrange their safe entry into India.
Secretary of Home Department, Cyril VD Diengdoh said seven more students of Meghalaya will reach the state through New Jalpaiguri on Monday.
Carol Laloo, one of the parents of the students, told The Shillong Times on Sunday that a notification circulated by the college in Bangladesh asking foreign students not to move out of college campus sparked insecurity among the parents.
The college authorities in Bangladesh arranged food for the students from the mess and additional security was deployed at the college entrance, Laloo said.
“All I did as a parent was look at the severity of the problem in Bangladesh. I didn’t want our children to be caught in the violence considering the fact that they are foreigners in Bangladesh,” she said.
Upon being informed of the situation, the parents quickly notified Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma who deputed Additional Chief Secretary, P Shakeel Ahammed and the Home Secretary (Cyril VD Diengdoh) to monitor the evacuation efforts.
The Indian High Commission has been actively handling the security issues, ensuring the safe passage of the students, Diengdoh said.
A notable aspect of this evacuation was the solidarity among the students. Senior students helped their juniors, insisting that they will not leave unless all the Indian students were evacuated.
Diengdoh said around 198 Indian students were evacuated together, with authorities ensuring that no one was left behind.
Bangladesh witnessed violent protests by students against the reservation of jobs for the family members of veterans who fought in the country’s liberation war of 1971. Quota allows them to take up to 30% of government jobs.
