KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 — The Foreign Affairs Ministry (Wisma Putra) is closely monitoring the challenging situation in Bangladesh, where widespread riots have raised safety concerns among Malaysian students and their families in Dhaka and Mymensingh.
It has instructed all necessary measures to ensure the safety and security of Malaysian students in the country. This includes relocating students to the High Commission and the Official Residence, where preparations are underway to provide necessary provisions.
The High Commission of Malaysia in Dhaka is actively coordinating efforts despite significant challenges, including communication disruptions caused by Internet outages.
The High Commission is also committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all Malaysian citizens in Bangladesh and is relying on SMS communications to maintain connectivity.
“As communicated by the Malaysian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, a curfew has been implemented as of midnight due to unstable security conditions.
“However, the High Commission continues to monitor the welfare of affected students. At this time, the High Commission is planning to travel to Mymensingh to provide food supplies to students who were unable to purchase them,” Wisma Putra said in a statement today.
A Malaysian student from the Bangladesh Agricultural University was successfully assisted in boarding a flight and is expected to arrive in Malaysia today.
The High Commission urges all Malaysian students in need of assistance to remain in contact and cooperate with the High Commission, adding that the safety and security of Malaysians abroad is its highest priority, and every action is being taken to assist its citizens.
The ministry will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates as necessary.
Meanwhile, thousands of students in Bangladesh have been demonstrating since July 1 after a court reinstated quotas for government jobs, which had been abolished in 2018.
Protesters are demanding changes to the system, which reserves 56 per cent of public jobs for certain groups, Anadolu Agency reported.
The German News Agency (dpa) reported that the government has imposed a nationwide curfew and deployed the military following clashes between demonstrators and police during student protests, according to the military's announcement today.
The army will be deployed in the capital, Dhaka, and other districts, said Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan.
Over 100 people have died in the protests since violence broke out on Tuesday (July 16). At least 56 deaths were reported yesterday, according to BBC Bangla, citing the newspapers Prothom Alo and The Daily Star.
News from these outlets and other local media were not accessible online today after the government largely cut off Internet, telephone, and SMS connections. The casualty figures have not been officially confirmed.
— Bernama
