DHAKA: While it has been terrifying days for some Malaysians here due to protests and unrest in the city since July 1, the move to temporarily stop Internet service in Bangladesh made matters worse.
Muhammad Farhan Gulzar, 22, said without Internet, people were kept in the dark about what was going on and the timing of the protest.
“There was panic ... even though the protests were mainly in Dhaka, which is three hours from my location in Mymensingh. Small-scale protests were also held there.
“Without the Internet, we students, could only rely on information passed verbally.
“We couldn’t check on our families and friends; we could only SMS and make normal phone calls, but the signals were weak,” the Mymensingh Medical College medical student told Bernama.
He was among 123 Malaysians, including 80 students, brought home yesterday via a specially chartered AirAsia flight as instructed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The A320 aircraft departed the Dhaka Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 11.05am local time, and took three hours and 55 minutes to reach KLIA2.
The evacuation mission was led by the Foreign Ministry’s South and Central Asia Division undersecretary Datuk Dr Shazelina Zainul Abidin.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Farhan expressed gratitude to the Malaysian government and the Prime Minister for taking prompt action to bring fellow Malaysians back home safely.
Expressing the same feeling, Sarvin Tharmalingam, 27, said the evacuation mission by the government was the biggest reason most of the students decided to return.
“Parents were worried and wanted us to come back earlier. But because of the lack of Internet and weak phone signals, it was hard to make contact and check if the situation was safe outside.
“We heard there were people killed and injured, but we were not sure whether it was true.
“So when the Malaysia High Commission officers came to our college yesterday (Monday), we felt this was the time. A big thank you to the government and the Prime Minister,” he said.
For Siti Nurathirah Afrina Azree, 25, there was mixed feelings since it was her final year and she was busy with examinations.
“But upon hearing from locals that the protest may continue and curfew imposed, we were worried. We felt the need to return home,” she said.
