“Hide your identity”: Indian medical students fear for safety

Thousands of Indian medical students in Bangladesh are living in fear amid continuing protests, political volatility and a surge in anti-India sentiment, prompting urgent appeals by student bodies to the Government of India for diplomatic intervention and possible evacuation.

- BRYAN THOMAS/ SHIKHA SALARIA

In separate letters to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) and the All India Medical Students’ Association (AIMSA) warned that Indian students — particularly medical aspirants — are facing an increasingly hostile environment, especially in and around Dhaka.

According to JKSA, nearly 9,000 Indian students are studying medicine in Bangladesh, including over 4,000 from the Kashmir Valley. The association said it has been receiving “continuous distress calls” from students and parents.

“We are being told by students in Dhaka that they have been advised to hide their identity for their own safety,” the JKSA said. “This is deeply disturbing and unacceptable for murder.”

“We will not let this matter go. Dipu Das was burnt alive. We will not allow them to sit here [at the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission],” Adhikari said while young Indians who have gone abroad solely to pursue education.”

The association also flagged reports of the lynching of a student leader, saying the incident has sent shockwaves through the student community. “Many students are confined to hostels, afraid to step out. Parents are living in constant anxiety,” JKSA National Convenor Nasir Khuehami said.