Around 600 Kashmiri students studying in various medical colleges in Bangladesh have demanded immediate evacuation amid coronavirus pandemic.
The students said they have been gripped by fear and panic becauseof being stranded in their colleges for past several weeks. Their parents backin the Valley have also become anxious about the safety and health of theirkids in Bangladesh colleges.
Greater Kashmir received scores of calls from the studentsdemanding immediate evacuation from Bangladesh and return to their home.
“We want to come home. We had already booked our tickets forKashmir but flights were suspended all of a sudden due to which we are strandedhere for many weeks,” said a student.
Post suspension of all flights in view of COVID-19 lockdownin India, a group of students had tried to travel to Kolkata by road. “The group was stopped at Kolkata border andasked to return to their colleges in Bangladesh,” another student said.
Most of the colleges have closed their mess and students areforced to go out amid lockdown to buy daily food and other items themselves.
“It is true that the Bangladeshi government or the collegedid not ask us to leave, but we are away from home. Anything can happen herewhich has left us in a state of depression as the situation in Bangladesh isalso worsening with each passing day,” another student said.
“We don’t know how long will this lockdown continue and weare about to suffer a mental breakdown,” he added.
The students said most of the countries have got theirstudents evacuated by special flights but Indian Government was “leastbothered” to get the students evacuated from Bangladesh.
“We approached the embassy several times but they pleadhelplessness saying that they can only allow them to travel after gettingpermission from government of India,” the students said.
The stranded students said the situation was getting scaryin Bangladesh as positive cases of COVID-19 are increasing in the area while asstrict restrictions were imposed on public movement as well.
“We urge the Government of India and the J&Kadministration for their intervention to help us reach home as nobody is sureabout how long the lockdown will continue,” the students said.