PUTRAJAYA: An evacuation plan has been activated to bring home Malaysian citizens, including 124 students from Dhaka, Bangladesh, following violent riots in that country which have so far killed dozens.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had given approval to expedite the plans to repatriate Malaysians from the country.
"This issue (riots) will not be resolved in the near future, and we have decided to bring home Malaysian citizens," he was quoted as saying by Sinar Harian at a press conference here on Monday (July 22).
According to him, a special flight using an AirAsia A330 aircraft is expected to arrive at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka at 10 am on Tuesday (July 23).
Mohamad said 139 students were confirmed to be in Bangladesh, adding that 15 had already safely returned.
However, he said one at the Chittagong Medical College would not be brought back via the repatriation as the person is far from the riot area, adding that the consulate had provided assurances of their safety.
It was reported earlier that thousands of Bangladeshi students held demonstrations after the courts ruled to reimpose quotas on government jobs which were repealed in 2018.
Following this, the government closed all public and private universities on Saturday (July 20), at the height of the protests. More than 100 people have been killed since the riots broke out on Tuesday (July 16).
On Sunday (July 21), the Foreign Affairs Ministry said Malaysian students affected by the situation in Bangladesh have been relocated to the High Commission building for their safety.
