BSF runs 'special help desks' to facilitate students' repatriation from violence-hit Bangladesh

BSF officials with repatriated students/ X

The BSF South Bengal Frontier has set up "special help desks" at Integrated Check Posts (ICP) along the India-Bangladesh border to aid in the safe return of students from Bangladesh, which has been hit by violence.

Officials stated that the BSF is working with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) to ensure the safe evacuation of students, even during nighttime operations. So far, the BSF has helped 572 Indian students, 133 Nepalese students, and four Bhutanese students return home, reported PTI.

According to the report, in reaction to the instability in Bangladesh, the BSF South Bengal Frontier has set up support stations at ICP Petrapole, LCS Gede, Ghojadanga, and Mahadipur to ensure the students' safe return.

"Amid this unrest, many Indian, Nepalese and Bhutanese students studying in various educational institutions in Bangladesh are being sent back to their countries. The BSF South Bengal Frontier has set up special help desks at ICP Petrapole, LCS Gede, Ghojadanga, and Mahadipur to facilitate the safe return of these students," a BSF statement said.

"The BSF is in constant touch with BGB. This coordination has ensured the safe evacuation of students even during nighttime operations. To further enhance the efficiency of the process, the immigration desk at ICP Petrapole will now be open 24/7, ensuring uninterrupted and safe passage for all students returning home," BSF DIG AK Arya told PTI.

According to the report, the violence in Bangladesh is the result of student protests against a contentious job quota system that reserves up to 30 per cent of government jobs for families of veterans from the 1971 war of independence with Pakistan. Over 100 individuals were reportedly killed in the confrontations, while exact counts are unknown.

In an effort to quell the turmoil, Bangladesh's Supreme Court slashed most job quotas on Sunday, restricting those for veterans' descendants to 5 per cent and assigning 93 per cent based on merit.