Pakistan’s high commission in Dhaka has advised Pakistani students to stay indoors and avoid the renewed anti-government protests in Bangladesh, which resulted in dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries on Sunday.
At least 55 people were killed and hundreds injured as police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse tens of thousands of protesters demanding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation. The government declared an indefinite nationwide curfew starting at 6 pm on Sunday, marking the first time such a measure has been implemented during the current protests, which began last month. Additionally, a three-day general holiday was announced, starting from Monday.
The Pakistani high commission in Dhaka reported that it was closely monitoring the evolving situation and maintaining constant communication with Pakistani citizens, particularly students.
“As soon as the situation started to deteriorate, the students were asked to reach the High Commission immediately,” the commission stated. “Those who could not reach have been contacted by telephone and advised to remain in their rooms and avoid the current situation.”
According to the high commission, one-third of the 144 Pakistani students studying in Bangladesh have already returned to Pakistan, with a few more planning to leave in the coming days. Some of the remaining students have taken refuge at the high commission.
“The High Commission is in constant touch with the students and will continue to take all possible measures to ensure their safety,” the statement continued. “High Commission officials are also in contact with Bangladeshi authorities.”
The unrest, which led to the government shutting down Internet services, presents the most significant challenge to Hasina’s leadership since January. At that time, deadly protests erupted after she secured a fourth consecutive term in elections boycotted by the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
Critics of Hasina and human rights groups have accused her government of using excessive force against protesters, a charge she and her ministers deny. Last month, at least 150 people were killed and thousands injured in violence sparked by student groups protesting against quotas for government jobs. The protests temporarily subsided after the Supreme Court abolished most quotas, but students returned to the streets last week in sporadic protests, demanding justice for the families of those killed.
