No Bangladeshi students harmed in Bishkek: FM
He said Bangladesh ambassador in Uzbekistan has been asked to go there and take appropriate action in consultation with the Kyrgyz foreign ministry
There are no reports of serious injuries or deaths among Bangladeshi students in Kyrgyzstan so far, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud said today (20 May) regarding recent attacks on foreign students by locals in Bishkek.
"Our ambassador stationed in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, a neighbouring country, has been asked to go there. He will arrive in Bishkek in the afternoon local time and visit the campus to inquire about Bangladeshi students," Hasan told reporters at his ministry in the capital Monday afternoon.
He also said that the Bangladesh Ambassador to Uzbekistan will take appropriate measures after discussing with the Kyrgyz Foreign and Interior Ministries and relevant authorities.
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In response to a question about a letter from a student asking to return home, the minister said, "Ordinary students have not made any such request."
For context, violent mobs have been targeting medical university hostels housing international students from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh since last Friday in Kyrgyzstan.
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.
