Visva-Bharati's Bangladeshi Students In Fear As violence Claims 19 Lives In Neighbourhood

Bangladeshi students, who are studying in Visva-Bharati are spending their days in fear because many of them are unable to communicate with their families since Internet connection has been snapped in many places.

Bolpur (West Bengal): Bangladesh is in turmoil thanks to the anti-reservation movement across the country. Expressing concern from Bengal, Bangladeshi students have appealed to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to stop the ongoing bloodshed with immediate effect.

The Bangladeshi students of Visva-Bharati are worried due to the atmosphere of fear that has been created in India's neighbourhood. They are receiving news of death, arson, and injuries of kin, from family and social media. Many students are not even being able to communicate with their families as their internet connection has been snapped. So they are both scared and worried.

So far 19 people have died in the anti-reservation protest according to the government of Bangladesh. Unconfirmed sources say the number of casualties is higher.

Sheikh Hasina government introduced reservation in employment but the announcement did not go down well with the educated youths of the neighbouring country. The students of Dhaka University were the first to raise their voices. The ruling party of Bangladesh also attacked the Sheikh Hasina government. It was then that the movement took a larger form.

Along with Dhaka, the movement gradually spread to Rangpur, Khulna, Rajshahi, Chittagong and other places. Students have accused Bangladesh Police of firing on them. According to the Bangladesh government, 19 protesters have already died but the number is higher as per unconfirmed sources. Most of the victims were under 30 years

Several students from Bangladesh come to study in Visva-Bharati every year. Katha Ghosh, Amrita Sarkar and Shrabani Sayantani together said that there are no words to describe the situation in Bangladesh. "We do not want any more deaths. It is a terrible situation. Sitting in Bengal, we are getting news on social media. We request the Prime Minister to accept the demands of the students," they said.

A Bangladeshi student of Visva-Bharati, Deepa Saha, posted on social media that she is unable to communicate with her family due to the internet shutdown in Bangladesh. "The situation in the country is very bad. There are reports of deaths. I have not been able to communicate with my family for a long time. I am worried and scared at the same time," Deepa told ETV Bharat.

On Friday evening, students from Bangladesh held a protest march on the road leading to Santiniketan. During their march on Friday, they were seen carrying candles and banners, singing Rabindra Sangeet. They wished that the situation in the country would normalise quickly.

The agitators claim that due to this reservation, meritorious students do not get enough job opportunities. Among the Bangladeshi students of Visva-Bharati, Deepa Saha, Shanjida Pomi, Suchna Sinha, and Shrabani Sayantani said, "We can't contact the family in any way. We heard that many people were injured. But, we don't know anything. We demand that the problem be resolved quickly. Let Sonar Bangla be golden again. Let the bleeding stop."

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