Amid growing protests, Indian nationals in Bangladesh are being urged to remain indoors.

The warning follows the Bangladeshi government’s decision to close all public and private universities, which was followed by recent violent altercations between students and police in Dhaka.

Demands to change the nation’s civil service employment quota system, which reserves places for particular groups, such as the descendants of those who fought in the 1971 war of independence against Pakistan, have been the driving force behind the protests.

Protests grew more intense on Thursday as students and police battled in many Dhaka locales. Demonstrators blocked highways and clashed violently with police in Merul Badda, close to Brac University, injuring several people. Police used tear gas to disperse the throng by late morning, which caused major traffic jams in the region, according to the Dhaka Tribune.

Students also blocked the Dhaka-Chittagong highway at Jatrabari and barred the entrance to the Bashundhara Residential Area on Pragati Sarani, seriously impairing public transit and creating extensive inconvenience. Numerous local markets and stores were closed, and there was a significant police presence in the Mirpur 10 roundabout and the adjacent neighborhoods.

According to the Dhaka Tribune, the rallies, which started as a reaction to alleged police brutality, have grown to include calls for a campus free of violence, reasonable reform of the quota system, and justice for those hurt or died in earlier protests.

The Indian High Commission in Dhaka and the Indian Assistant High Commissions in Chittagong, Sylhet, and Khulna have set up 24-hour emergency contact numbers for Indian citizens and students in need of aid due to the unstable situation:

Dhaka, India’s High Commission: +880-1937400591 (also on WhatsApp)

The phone numbers for the Indian Assistant High Commission in Chittagong are +880-1814654797 and +880-1814654799 (available on WhatsApp).

India’s Sylhet Assistant High Commission: +880-1313076411 (also on WhatsApp)

Khulna, India’s Assistant High Commission: +880-1812817799 (also on WhatsApp)

Discontent with Bangladesh’s quota system, which reserves a sizable portion of civil service jobs for particular groups, has been the driving force behind the latest protests. In Bangladesh, this system has long been controversial, and the present protests are a reflection of long-standing resentment over the quota system as well as how the police have handled nonviolent student protests.

All people of Bangladesh are advised to follow the travel alert and contact the High Commission or Assistant High Commissions if they want immediate help, as the Indian government continues to keep an eye on the situation.

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