Medical students return to India amid violence in Bangladesh
New Delhi: Medical students who saved their lives and returned to India amid the fierce violence in Bangladesh have spoken exclusively to India TV. During this, they told that when violent protests started in Bangladesh, they did not know that the situation would worsen so much that the Indian Embassy would have to tell them to leave Bangladesh as soon as possible. The students also told their ordeal that how they were living every night in fear whether they would be able to see the sun tomorrow or not. At present, these students have reached India safely and their families have also heaved a sigh of relief.
Because of the violence, we were not able to decide what to do: MBBS student
An MBBS student who returned to India from Bangladesh, on the condition of anonymity, told how he was living in fear. Phones and internet were not working. His family was worried and he was worried about what was going to happen the next day.
The victim student said, ‘When I returned from Bangladesh, the situation was not good. There were a lot of protests and violence. Dhaka University students were protesting against the quota system. Then the situation worsened and we were very scared. Our internet was cut off and we were unable to make any calls. Our family members were getting worried due to the inability to talk and the current situation. We were unable to contact anyone and it was being heard that calls would be stopped.’
The victim student said, ‘When we used to make international calls to talk to our relatives in India, we could not hear the voice. We tried to recharge from India as well but it was not possible. Then we decided together that we will reach the airport by any means and leave for India from there. But due to curfew, it was not easy to reach the airport. Because in such a situation, there were shoot and sight orders from the government. The government had a sharp eye on suspicious activities.’
The victim student said, ‘Due to the internet ban, we got our phone recharged with the help of a local person and then booked our flight tickets from India. We did not have the tickets till we reached the airport because the internet was banned. We only had a PNR number. After we requested, we got entry at the airport through this number.’
The victim student said, ‘Drones, helicopters and choppers used to fly over our hostel all the time. We were scared and were unable to decide what to do due to the violence. Because if we stayed in the hostel, we were feeling unsafe. There was a threat mainly for the students and there was no hope from anywhere. After this, we hired an ambulance and 8 people sat in it and left for the airport. At 3.30 in the night, the route from which we left for the airport had witnessed open firing some time ago.’
The victim student said, ‘I have reached India safely from Bangladesh but even now when I call Bangladesh, I am not able to talk there.’
Tear gas was being thrown from the chopper: Victim medical student
India TV spoke to another Indian student who is studying medicine in Bangladesh and had to return to India to save her life because of the violence. The victim student, on the condition of anonymity, said, ‘The situation in Bangladesh is not good. Now the situation has improved a bit. We came to the airport in an ambulance. The college had provided us an ambulance, we reached the airport in it and then took a flight to India from there.’
The victim student said, ‘We were not able to get flight tickets because the internet was down. We booked tickets with the help of our parents and agents. When we reached the airport, we only had the PNR number. People from our batch had left before us, but the roads were closed then. When we left for the airport, the army stopped us and checked our passports.’
The victim student said, ‘Our flight was the next day but we left for the airport at 3 or 4 in the night and stayed at the airport. There was a call from the Indian Embassy to register our details and we will rescue you. But we did not wait for the embassy and reached the airport through an ambulance and came to India.’
The victim student said, ‘Choppers were flying near our college and tear gas was being thrown from above. There was smoke all around. A college ambulance, which had Indian students, was also attacked and there was stone pelting at many places. Many Indian students are still stranded in Bangladesh. Many students are stuck at the airport. The flight may be after 3 days but the students have reached the airport.’
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