Bangladeshi students in Kyrgyzstan feel unsafe, want to return home, as mob attack continues 

Foreign students in Kyrgyzstan, including those from Bangladesh, are still panicked as mob attacks against them continued today.

Students are demanding to return home due to safety concerns, despite reassurances from the Kyrgyz government. 

The Pakistani government has already repatriated 140 students from Kyrgyzstan, Arab News reports.  

"Friday's attack was less severe compared to the day before. However, today, attacks have resumed. The Kyrgyz government is saying the situation is under control, but this is not true. 

"There have been attacks on foreign students in two or three places today. We are living in constant fear," Shanjidah Suraeya, a third-semester MBBS student at Ala-Too International University in Bishkek, told TBS this evening over the phone.

"I live in an apartment outside the university with a friend. We cannot go outside. It's like being in quarantine. We are spending our days in fear and anxiety," she added. 

Shanjidah stressed that they are unsafe and urged the Bangladeshi government to arrange their return. She also mentioned that not only students but also Bangladeshi labour migrants are victims of these mob attacks.

Violent mobs have been targeting medical university hostels housing international students from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh since last Friday.

Shanjidah Suraeya, who used to stay in the VIP hostel at Ala-Too International University, had moved to a nearby area named Tonguch this month. She mentioned that the VIP hostel, which also accommodates students from the International University of Kyrgyzstan, was attacked last Friday.

When asked about the attack, she said, "Foreign students in the VIP hostel were attacked, including girls. Two or three Pakistani fellow students were injured. Attacks happened across Kyrgyzstan throughout the night, including on those renting apartments outside the dormitories."

Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Government has expressed deep concerns over the mob violence on the night of 17 May in the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek.

"We have conveyed our concerns to Kyrgyzstan. Our students also came under attack but no one was severely injured," Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud told reporters today.

He said they are closely monitoring the situation through the Embassy in Uzbekistan, which is also accredited to the Kyrgyz Republic.

"We have asked our ambassador stationed in Tashkent to visit Bishkek soon to inquire about the wellbeing of the Bangladeshi students. The embassy is in constant communication with our students who are currently studying in Kyrgyz Republic, as well as with the Kyrgyz government officials," read a press statement of the foreign ministry today. 

The embassy already shared an emergency contact number in its official Facebook page to get in touch with them for any issues regarding this matter. 

"Through the embassy the government is coordinating with the relevant authorities of Kyrgyz Republic, including the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Internal Affairs to ensure the safety and security of the students," read the release. 

However, the foreign ministry did not specify how many Bangladeshis are currently living in Kyrgyzstan. 

According to an unofficial estimate, around 1,500 Bangladeshis live in Kyrgyzstan, including approximately 700 students.

What happened?

Tensions heightened after videos of a fight between Kyrgyz students and foreign students, mainly Pakistanis and Egyptians, went viral on social media on 13 May, NDTV reported, citing local media. 

The brawl was perceived by locals as a clear breach of the hospitality extended to the foreign students.

Thus, several Kyrgyz locals took to the streets on 17 May night, accusing officials of showing leniency towards the foreigners involved in the fight. They targeted medical university hostels housing international students from India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.

However, the police stated that they had detained three foreign students as soon as they were informed of the 13 May incident.