New Delhi / Dhaka: India evacuated approximately 1,200 of its citizens from Bangladesh on Monday and Tuesday as post-election violence, anti-government protests, and communal tensions escalated across several major cities in the country, including Dhaka, Chittagong, and Sylhet.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) activated emergency protocols and coordinated with Air India and IndiGo to operate special evacuation flights from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka. The High Commission of India in Dhaka had issued a travel advisory last week urging Indian nationals — estimated at over 15,000, many of whom work in the garment and textile sector — to register with the mission and exercise caution.
MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India was monitoring the situation “very carefully” and was in contact with the Bangladesh government for the safety of Indian nationals. “We are also in contact with the Indian community there, and those who wish to return are being assisted,” Jaiswal said at a media briefing in New Delhi.
The unrest in Bangladesh follows a deeply contested general election in which the ruling Awami League, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, claimed a landslide victory that the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and several international observers described as neither free nor fair. The BNP, which boycotted the polls, has been organising street protests that have turned violent in several districts.
Several Hindu temples and minority community homes were reported to have been attacked in at least three districts, prompting India to summon the Bangladesh High Commissioner in New Delhi to express “deep concern” over the safety of minorities.
Indian traders and garment industry buyers have also raised concerns about supply chain disruptions, given that Bangladesh is India’s fourth-largest trade partner and accounts for a significant share of India’s readymade garment imports. Industry bodies have urged both governments to ensure trade corridors remain open.
