Kuala Lumpur: The Malaysian students in Bangladesh should be brought back to Malaysia in view of the worsening protests over a quota system for government job applicants which have killed at least 139 people, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said today.
"Their safety is our priority," Anwar told reporters after officiating the opening of the National Tax Conference 2024 here.
“Maybe in the first day or two, the situation was under control. But now with information from the (Malaysian high commission in Dhaka), it’s better that we bring them back.
"The foreign minister (Mohamad Hasan) will see if we need to charter a flight to bring them back."
At a press conference in Putrajaya today, Mohamad said the government has activated an evacuation plan to bring back all Malaysian citizens, including 124 students, from Dhaka.
He said an AirAsia A330 aircraft is scheduled to arrive at the Dhaka International Airport at 10am local time in Bangladesh, reported Sinar Harian.
Reuters reported that Bangladesh’s Supreme Court yesterday scrapped most quotas for government jobs, but some organisers said the protests would continue.
The Bangladeshi government had declared the past two days public holidays due to the situation in the country, with only emergency services allowed to operate.
On Saturday, Wisma Putra said it had taken steps to protect the Malaysian students, including by relocating them to the Malaysian high commission in Dhaka.
It said it was in continuous communication with local authorities to safeguard the interests and well-being of Malaysian students in the affected areas.
The foreign ministry also said it was working on repatriating four Malaysian students from Bangladesh amid the intensified protests.
It said it successfully assisted a Malaysian student from Bangladesh Agricultural University in boarding a flight on Friday.
