A group of 21 students from Bangladesh, who had originally travelled to India and Nepal for education purposes, have recently returned to India in order to protect themselves from the ongoing protests. These students had previously returned home to spend their holidays, but have now come back through three immigration check posts, located in north Bengal, according to official sources.

As of now, a total of 1,121 students have come back from Bangladesh, including 616 from India, 428 from Nepal, 54 from Bhutan, 21 from Bangladesh itself, and 2 from the Maldives.

It is worth mentioning that the Border Security Force, through the North Bengal Frontier, effectively monitors three check posts: Changrabandha in Cooch Behar, Fulbari in Jalpaiguri near Siliguri, and Hili in South Dinajpur.

The returning students expressed appreciation for the Border Security Force’s efforts to ensure convenience and safety during their evacuation.

Based on students’ accounts, both citizens of Bangladesh and India agree that today’s circumstances were relatively improved compared to the past five days following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Bangladesh. “The situation escalated and became uncontrollable for multiple reasons. The youth were offended by the Prime Minister’s labelling of the protesters as ‘Pakistani’ supporters in regards to the quota issue for those involved in the Liberation War for Bangladesh’s independence. Additionally, the involvement of police and army in suppressing the movement further fuelled tensions. Lastly, members of Awami League’s student organization hindered and assaulted protestors for political reasons.”

Following an examination of the risk due to the current state of affairs in Bangladesh on 20 July, with guidance from Suryakant Sharma, inspector general of BSF North Bengal Frontier and assistance from Brigadier Rajiv Gautam, Retd, deputy inspector general at Sector Headquarters Jalpaiguri, the 151 Battalion, 98 Battalion, and 61 Battalion BSF, under Jalpaiguri, Siliguri and Raiganj Sector have deployed additional personnel at immigration check post and land customs stations and passenger security check centres in Changrabandha, Fulbari and Hili. These measures were taken following the turmoil in Bangladesh, a senior BSF official said.

“The ongoing protest against government job reservations in Bangladesh has become more concerning as it has caused thousands of students from India, Nepal, and Bhutan to return home. To ensure their safety, the ICP has efficiently evacuated the students,” the BSF official said, adding, “The Border Security Force has also taken necessary steps to enhance security along the India-Bangladesh border and maintain a constant watch to prevent criminal and anti-national activities. Additionally, measures such as deploying additional personnel and establishing extra security check centres in Changrabandha have been implemented to avoid any delays for returning students.”