Safe and sound: Saifuddin (front row, third from left) and Mohamad Alamin (second from right) welcoming the return of Malaysians who were evacuated from Bangladesh. — GLENN GUAN/The Star
SEPANG: Malaysian students in Bangladesh experienced government-imposed curfews, violent protests, exorbitant price increase and even dwindling food supplies when they were there.
Mohd Haziq Syahmi, a 33-year-old Malaysian medical student who returned from Bangladesh, said the protests near his university were violent.
“Many were killed. Seven people were shot in my area. We were so scared.
“Our money was depleting fast because we couldn’t withdraw from the ATMs. Food prices were skyrocketing and the locals were talking about an impending food crisis,” he said when met at the KL International Airport Terminal 2 yesterday
He added that his Internet connection had been cut since last Thursday.
Syazanna Amira, 28, said Malaysian students managed to contact their parents after days of having no Internet connection when their telco provider gave them free roaming access last weekend.
“The students managed to contact the Malaysian High Commission in Dhaka. Some of us also lent our handphones to other Malaysians who don’t subscribe to the telco provider so that they too could call their families,” she added.
“The embassy would contact us daily and we would take turns staying up throughout the night, because the calls tend to come after midnight,” said Syazanna, who was studying medicine at Mymensingh Medical College.
She also heard claims that Bangladeshi security forces issued shoot-on-sight orders for violating curfew.
She said when she went to Dhaka airport yesterday, she saw many burnt buses.
“We saw people bringing weapons to the riots.
“The Bangladeshi citizens advised us to go back home to Malaysia as the violence was worsening.
“We got a call on Monday telling us to be ready to be evacuated.
“I’m so relieved to be back home,” she added.
A parent, Nor Hamimi Harun, who was at the airport, was grateful that her two sons – Muhammad Aliff Hazim Abdul Shukor, 22, and Muhammad Alif Haziq, 25, – were evacuated.
“I’m grateful I could communicate with them everyday when they were in Bangladesh, but the quality of the calls weren’t good so I had to speak slowly so that they could hear me,” she added.
The two brothers, both medical students, said they couldn’t go anywhere due to the curfew since Saturday.
Although the Internet connection in Bangladesh was poor, they managed to receive evacuation instructions from Wisma Putra to leave Bangladesh.
“I’m grateful that I get to hug my mother,” said Muhammad Aliff Haziq.
A total of 123 Malaysians, of whom 80 were students, arrived at Terminal 2 at about 5pm yesterday.
Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Mohamad Alamin told reporters at the airport that five Malaysian soldiers and 10 pilots are still in Bangladesh as they have to be there due to work commitments.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, who was also present, said the Malaysian High Commission in Bangladesh will continue monitoring the latest developments.
“Malaysians who are still there are advised to always keep in touch with our High Commission,” he said.
Protests erupted in Bangladesh after its courts ruled to reimpose quotas on government jobs which were repealed in 2018.
The Bangladesh government imposed a nationwide curfew last Saturday in response to the increasing violence.
On Monday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia will evacuate all of its students amid the “worrying” protests in Bangladesh.
More than 100 people have been killed since the riots broke out last week.
