5,000 Bangladeshi students want to return to China
They also demanded Chinese vaccine shots as soon as possible
Bangladeshi students studying in different Chinese universities, who had to return home because of the Covid-19 pandemic, now want to return to China to resume their academic activities.
They urged the foreign ministry to talk to the Chinese embassy in Dhaka and to take necessary steps for their return to China before the next semester starts.
The students made the demands at a press conference organised by Voice of Bangladeshi Students in China (VBSC) at the Sagar-Runi auditorium of the Dhaka Reporters' Unity on Monday.
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About 5,000 students could not return to China because they did not get Chinese visas, according to the press conference.
At the programme, the students also demanded that they be immunised with the Chinese vaccine as soon as possible.
They also urged to resume business, work and family visas for Bangladeshi citizens going to China, which has been closed for the last seven months.
The students said long distance learning due to the Covid-19 pandemic is hampering their studies, especially those who are studying in medical science and engineering.
More than 100 students,including Alif Arifin, Fazle Rabbi and Abid Ashraf Bishal, studying in different universities of China attended the press conference.
Abid Ashraf Bishal, on behalf of the students, read out a written statement at the press meet.
He said many of the students are doing research in engineering, MBBS, Masters, PhD and various subjects. Many are also continuing their studies with scholarships. Many of them are also expected to join the internship.
In this situation, despite repeated requests from the universities to join classes and research work in person, it is not possible to return due to lack of Chinese visas.
If they cannot go to China to attend the upcoming semester, their studies and careers will be in jeopardy. Please save our student life. The government should take immediate action in this regard.
Fazle Rabbi said, "We have already sent a list of 4,000 students to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) to get the Chinese vaccine. Our request is that those who do not have a national identity card should be vaccinated through their passports. We demand that all students be vaccinated."
China has sent several vaccines to Bangladesh as gifts. The health ministry has announced that people who want to return to China will give special importance to vaccination.
