COVID19: Medical Colleges In Bangladesh Are Requested To Keep Hostels Open For Stranded Indian Students, MEA Informs Delhi HC [Read Order]

The Ministry of External Affairs informed the Delhi High Court today that all the medical colleges in Bangladesh, where Indian students are staying, have been requested to open at least one mess facility to provide food to the students.

The response has come in a plea moved by Advocate Gaurav Kumar Bansal, on behalf of the Indian students who are stuck in their college hostels in Bangladesh.

Due to the temporary suspension of flights imposed by the Indian government, the students are unable to come back to their home country and meet their family members.

Appearing for MEA, Standing Counsel Mr Jasmeet Singh informed the court that efforts have been made to provide appropriate medical and other assistance, if required, by citizens of India in Bangladesh.

For this purpose, a list of Nodal Officers has

already been uploaded on the website, who can be contacted by Indian citizens in case of any difficulty.

He further submitted that Nodal Officers are making an effort to ensure that none of the citizens of India face any problem in any country.

In light of these submissions, the Petitioner agreed to provide the contact details of at least one student of each of the medical colleges where the students are facing difficulty to Mr. Jasmeet Singh. This list will then be forwarded to the Nodal Officers who are working on ground.

Therefore, the court has directed MEA to submit a status report, either in the form of an affidavit or through email, before the next date of hearing.

In the last hearing, seeking the urgent attention of Indian authorities, the Petitioner had highlighted that there are around 581 such students in Bangladesh whose welfare and well being is at stake.

Further, it was also pointed out by the Petitioner that most of these 581 students actually hail from Jammu & Kashmir.

The court will next take up the matter on April 3. 

Click here to download the Order