6 more Chinese students to leave DU early
Collected Photo
Six more Chinese students at University of Dhaka (DU) are preparing to return home due to security concerns on campus. They are scheduled to leave the campus on 13 November.
Earlier, two other Chinese students left for home on Wednesday without completing their courses. MA Kawsar, provost of Sir PJ Hartog International Hall, the residence for foreign students, confirmed this information on Thursday.
At least more than 10 cocktail explosions have occurred at DU over three consecutive days since Sunday. On Sunday evening, about eight cocktails exploded across six different locations on campus.
Following that, another explosion took place in the TSC area on Monday evening, where a bag filled with cocktails was then recovered. Although no casualties occurred during the explosions on the first two days, a cocktail was thrown at a car in front of the Faculty of Business Studies building on Tuesday afternoon. Two people, including the car driver, were injured in the blast.
The repeated cocktail explosions sparked widespread panic across the campus. Amid this situation, the provost of the International Hall held a meeting with foreign students on Wednesday evening to discuss overall campus security.
During the meeting, the students expressed anxiety over the security situation, after which Kawsar reassured them regarding safety measures.
According to university officials, these eight Chinese students had come to DU to participate in a short-term program. They were scheduled to return home after completing their examinations near the end of November.
However, following the series of cocktail explosions on campus, the students and their families became deeply concerned. Under these circumstances, they decided to return home before finishing the course, where they will take their remaining examinations from their respective universities.
Kawsar said, “They were supposed to leave after completing their exams in the last week of November. But due to anxiety over the cocktail explosions, they are leaving early. Two have already left. The remaining six have also confirmed their departure tickets.”
He added that besides these eight students, about 20 other foreign students reside in the hall. They are also being called in to be briefed on the overall campus situation and reassured about their safety.
Earlier on Wednesday afternoon during an event, University Vice-Chancellor ABM Obaidul Islam said two Chinese students were leaving the country due to security fears, adding that they had informed him of their departure due to safety concerns.
The nationwide unrest generated over the past few days stems from a strike called by the banned organization Chhatra League. Saddam Hossain, president of the central executive committee of the banned organization, called for a nationwide all-out strike on Tuesday. Leaders instructed activists to occupy the streets to enforce the program, following which acts of sabotage have been taking place in various parts of the country, including Dhaka.
