New Delhi: Amid the ongoing unrest in Bangladesh, Indian Medical Students undergoing medical education in the neighbouring country are in a dilemma over their future, as their dreams of becoming doctors are now being tested by political instability.
The situation of unrest intensified after the recent assassination of Sharif Osman Hadi, a leader of the Inqilab Moncho, followed by the daylight shooting of Motaleb Shikdar in Khulna.
Describing the situation, a third-year MBBS student at Sir Salimullah Medical College in Dhaka, Ubair Fayaz, told NDTV, “There is a haunting silence in the hostel during exams, broken only by the disturbing videos on our screens.”
“As the only male Indian student in my batch at a government college, I feel a double weight: the pressure of exams and the anxiety of ensuring everyone around me feels secure,” the student, who reportedly secured an All India Rank 2 in the National Eligibility-Entrance Test (NEET) exam, further added.
However, according to the student, the medical college campus, including the hostel, remains secure. “Safety for female students is the top priority here. There have been no reported incidents involving Indian students. We are sticking to our professional schedule as planned. We just want to finish our exams and go home,” he said.
Despite this, the students are going through severe psychological issues. Regarding this, the student added, “The psychological impact is heavy. I often find myself upset when sharing these updates with my family in Srinagar…The unrest isn’t as uniform as it was during the ousting of Sheikh Hasina; these feel like isolated, yet deeply disturbing incidents.”
AIMSA Appeals for Students’ Safety:
Meanwhile, writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, All India Medical Students Association Foreign Medical Students Wing (AIMSA-FMGW), has requested for urgent intervention to ensure the protection of Indian medical students, stranded in Bangladesh.
“On behalf of the All India Medical Students’ Association (AIMSA), we respectfully seek your immediate and urgent intervention concerning the safety and well-being of Indian medical students currently stranded in Bangladesh. AIMSA has been receiving serious and distressing communications from students and their families regarding the unsafe and uncertain conditions under which these students are presently living. Their security remains vulnerable, leading to immense fear, anxiety, and emotional distress among the students as well as their families in India,” Vice President of AIMSA J &K, Dr. Mohammed Momin Khan wrote in the letter addressed to PM Modi.
“Indian medical students pursue education overseas with deep trust in the Government of India and the assurance that the nation will stand firmly by them in times of crisis. In the present circumstances, swift diplomatic engagement and decisive protective measures are crucial to ensure their safety and restore confidence,” the letter further added.
The association has requested the PMO, in coordination with the Hon’ble Minister of External Affairs and the concerned Indian missions, to take immediate steps to ensure the safety and protection of all Indian medical students stranded in Bangladesh, strengthen on-ground support and assistance through the Indian Embassy and related missions, and ensure timely, clear, and transparent communication with the students and their families.
The National Spokesperson of Indian Medical Association Junior Doctors’ Network, Dr. Dhruv Chauhan, has also urged the External Affairs Minister of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take action.
“SOS : Urgent intervention required by@DrSJaishankar@PMOIndia to ensure return of Indian Medical students stuck in Bangladesh They have been told to hide their identity so that they won’t be killed . This has to be taken on priority basis immediately,” Dr. Chauhan mentioned in an X post, sharing the message of an Indian student in Bangladesh.
