More students enter West Bengal from Bangladesh, train services remain suspended

Students of Aliah University take part in a rally in solidarity with protesting students of Bangladesh in Kolkata on July 22, 2024
| Photo Credit: ANI

With this, the number of students who had entered West Bengal since the unrest began in the neighbouring country increased to 1,419. Of them, 1,221 were Indian students, 187 were from Nepal and four from Bhutan.

Of Monday’s migrants, 169 entered through Petrapole and 48 at Gede; 35 of these students were from Nepal. Of the total

Upon reaching the border, the South Bengal Frontier of BSF was conducting medical checkups to ensure the health and well-being of the students; special assistance counters were also set up to provide comprehensive assistance to all incoming students, a press statement by the South Bengal Frontier of the BSF said.

The BSF had also arranged counselling sessions to help students deal with the anxiety and fear they had encountered in Bangladesh.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday said that the State would open its doors to people in distress from the neighbouring country. She highlighted that there was a United Nations resolution to accommodate refugees in regions adjacent to the place of turmoil. Her remarks drew sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership which said that it was an “evil plan of INDIA bloc” to settle illegal refugees.

Meanwhile, train services between the two countries remained suspended. “Due to unavoidable circumstances 13108 Kolkata – Dhaka Maitree Express scheduled for departure from Kolkata on 24.07.2024 and 13110 Dhaka – Kolkata Maitree Express scheduled to arrive in Kolkata on 24.07.2024 will remain cancelled,” a press statement by the Eastern Railway said. The suspension of the services began on July 19.