New Delhi, Aug 8 (UNI) India is in touch with the Bangladeshi authorities for the safety and security of Indian nationals and of the Indian High Commission and the four Assistant High Commissions there, and expects that the law and order will be restored soon, a top official said today.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, said at a briefing today:
“We are in touch with the Bangladesh authorities for the safety and security of our nationals and the High Commission and Assistant High Commissions. And it is our expectation that law and order will be restored soon so that normal life can begin.”
He cited External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar as saying in parliament that there are around 19,000 Indians in Bangladesh, including 9,000 students of whom a majority have returned to India.
“There are Indians who want to come back and our High Commission is assisting them with support. The airlines are operating, several people have reached out to the Indian High Commission and Assistant HCs for support.
“We hope the security situation is restored soon and normalcy returns, and so that the HC and assistant HCs can begin normal functioning,” he said.
To a question if there was any foreign hand in the toppling of the Sheikh Hasina government, he said: “We are closely analysing every aspect of the happenings in Bangladesh”.
The High Commission of India in Dhaka has shut down all visa application centres in Bangladesh amid the ongoing unrest.
The Indian Visa Application Centre, on their website, informed applicants on Wednesday that the next date would be informed through SMS and that passports should be collected the next working day.
Due to the ‘unstable situation’ after massive protests forced Sheikh Hasina to resign as prime minister, the visa centres took this decision.
