Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Friday informed that around 36 students from the state, studying at Eastern Medical College, are still stranded in Bangladesh.
Sangma stated that the government is in constant touch with officials and the Indian Embassy. Despite assurances from the college that the situation is under control, parents remain very concerned.
“I want to share with all the parents that we are continuously in touch. Though the situation in and around the college is okay, there could be some issues enroute, so it is not possible to take any chances. Unless we are very sure that the route is clear and they can be safely brought to the border, we will have to watch the situation. We are hopeful that within the next 24 hours, we will be able to assess the situation,” the chief minister informed.
He added that since these returnees will enter from Tripura, the government is in touch with its counterparts there and with the High Commission in Bangladesh.
The chief minister also informed that over 405 students from India, including 80 from Meghalaya, have been evacuated from Bangladesh through Dawki in the West Jaintia Hills District.
“As soon as we got this information, we immediately moved into action. Almost 405 students from India have been evacuated from Bangladesh through Dawki, and about 80 of them are from our state of Meghalaya. The rest are from different parts of the country. We also have students from Bhutan and Nepal, and some tourists who have crossed the border from Dawki,” Sangma said. The state government is in touch with the Indian Embassy in Dhaka to facilitate any required movement.
Meanwhile, the chief minister announced that the government has decided to create an online portal to collect contact details of all students from Meghalaya studying abroad. He urged all students to fill in their details to enable the government to connect with them more efficiently. The proposal for this online portal will be taken up in the next cabinet meeting for approval.
Also Read: From Meghalaya, with love: How local nurses found jobs in Singapore & Japan