New Delhi: Medical Students Return to India After Escaping Brutal Violence in Bangladesh, Share Their Harrowing Experiences

Amid brutal violence in Bangladesh, medical students who managed to escape and return to India have shared their harrowing stories with India TV. They explained how they never anticipated the violence would escalate to the point where the Indian embassy had to urgently advise them to leave Bangladesh. The students revealed how they lived in constant fear every night, not knowing whether they would see the next day’s sunrise. Fortunately, these students have safely returned to India, bringing relief to their families.

Struggling to Make Decisions Amid Violence: MBBS Student

An MBBS student who returned from Bangladesh shared, on condition of anonymity, how they lived in fear. Phones and the internet weren’t working, and their family members were distressed, uncertain about what might happen next. The student said, “When I returned from Bangladesh, the situation was bad. There were many protests and a lot of violence. Students from Dhaka University were protesting against the quota system. The situation escalated, and we were terrified. Our internet was cut off, and we couldn’t make any calls. Our family members were worried because we couldn’t contact them and there were rumors that calls might be blocked.”

The student further described, “When we tried making international calls to India, we couldn’t hear anything. We tried recharging from India, but it didn’t work. Eventually, we decided to reach the airport by any means and fly back to India. But due to the curfew, reaching the airport wasn’t easy. The government had shoot-on-sight orders, and they were closely monitoring suspicious activities.”

The student explained that they managed to recharge their phone with the help of a local person, and then booked a flight ticket to India. “By the time we reached the airport, we didn’t have a ticket. We only had a PNR number. After making a request, we were allowed entry at the airport with that number.”

The student further added, “Drones, helicopters, and choppers were flying over our hostel all the time. We were scared, and the violence made it hard for us to decide what to do. We didn’t feel safe staying in the hostel, and there was a constant threat to the students. We didn’t see any hope. Finally, we hired an ambulance and, eight of us traveled to the airport. We passed through an area where open firing had occurred just hours before.”

The student concluded, “I’m safely back in India, but even now when I try calling Bangladesh, I can’t get through.”

Chopper Dropping Tear Gas: Medical Student

India TV spoke to another Indian medical student who was studying in Bangladesh and had to return to India due to the violence. The student, on the condition of anonymity, said, “The situation in Bangladesh wasn’t good. Things have improved slightly now. We came to the airport in an ambulance. The college arranged the ambulance for us, and we reached the airport and flew to India from there.”

The student added, “We couldn’t get flight tickets because the internet was shut down. With help from parents and agents, we managed to book tickets. At the airport, we only had the PNR number. Our batchmates had already left, but the roads were blocked. When we tried leaving for the airport, the army stopped us and checked our passports.”

The student further described, “Our flight was the next day, but we left for the airport around 3 or 4 AM and stayed there. The Indian embassy had contacted us, asking us to register our details so they could rescue us. However, we didn’t wait for the embassy and reached the airport in the ambulance, then flew back to India.”

The student added, “There were choppers flying over our college, and tear gas was being dropped from above. The area was filled with smoke. One of the college ambulances, which was carrying Indian students, was also attacked, and there was stone-pelting in several places. Even now, many Indian students are stuck in Bangladesh. Several students are still at the airport. Even though their flights might be three days away, they’ve already reached the airport.”