Srinagar: The Jammu & Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) has issued an urgent plea to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), calling for the immediate evacuation of Indian students, including many from Kashmir, due to the escalating protests and violence in Bangladesh.
In a recent letter, the JKSA urged the MEA to evacuate students from Bangladesh back to India until the situation improves, citing the death toll and number of injuries resulting from the ongoing violence, and noting the grave threat to students' lives and academic pursuits.
The letter expressed deep concern for the safety of these students, particularly Kashmiri students, many of whom have reached out to the association in distress.
“Hundreds of Kashmiri students have contacted us, expressing severe anxiety regarding their personal security and urging immediate relocation with concerned parents in Kashmir expressing their fears for their children's safety,” reads the letter.
“Kashmiri students have requested us to take up the matter with the Government of India to facilitate their earliest evacuation, fearing that the protests and unrest will not subside soon and has asked Indian embassy's assistance to safely reach the airports, as traveling on their own is not safe.”
There are more than 3,500 Kashmiri students enrolled in different colleges and universities in Bangladesh. Every year, a large number of Kashmiri students join medical and other universities in Bangladesh for further studies, it informed.
Given the circumstances, we kindly request the Ministry of External Affairs to ensure the safety and swift relocation of Kashmiri students from the affected areas in Bangladesh. We urge you to consider evacuating the students back to India until the situation in Bangladesh stabilizes and their safety can be guaranteed, it said.
Please launch helpline numbers to provide immediate assistance and support to the students and their families during this crisis, it added.
“Their safe return home should be a priority to prevent any further distress or potential harm,” the letter concluded.