Kathmandu: The Embassy of Nepal in Dhaka has urged Nepali students studying in Bangladesh to stay cautious and remain in their respective hostels and residences as protests over a quota system for government jobs escalate.
Issuing a statement, the Dhaka-based embassy requested Nepali students to follow instructions from their college administrations. “If the college administration asks you to relocate to a safe place, please contact the Nepali embassy,” the embassy requested.
The embassy has asked students to contact First Secretary Yojana Bomjan at +8801880691013 and Riya Chhetri at +8801745407958.
At least five people were killed and scores injured across Bangladesh on Tuesday as young government supporters and police firing tear gas clashed with students protesting against a quota system for government jobs, police said.
Tens of thousands of students joined nationwide protests for a second day after more than 100 people were injured on Monday in rallies that blocked major highways and rail links. The protesters are angry over public sector job quotas, including a 30% quota for family members of freedom fighters from the 1971 War of Independence, amid high youth unemployment.
In the capital Dhaka, TV footage showed a heavy presence of police, wearing protective vests and helmets and armed with wooden sticks, outside the Dhaka University campus. One student was found lying in a pool of blood and declared dead at a city hospital, police said. Three people, including two students, were killed in the port city of Chittagong.
In Bangladesh, 56 percent of government jobs are reserved for various quotas. Ten percent are reserved for women, 10 percent for people from underdeveloped districts, 5 percent for indigenous communities, and 1 percent for people with disabilities.
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