Sri Lankan workers in Bangladesh not affected by violence

Colombo: The Sri Lankan workers in Bangladesh have not been affected by the civil commotion in the country, authorities here said on Sunday.

It is estimated that around 3,000 Sri Lankans are serving in Bangladesh currently. Their situation is being closely monitored by the Foreign Employment Bureau (SLBFE), officials said.

Bangladesh has been reeling under deadly clashes with protesting students demanding the Sheikh Hasina-led government to scrap a controversial job quota system.

Over 90 people have been killed in the clashes that began weeks ago, according to reports from Dhaka, though the exact number of deaths is not yet clear.

Law enforcement authorities in Bangladesh have imposed a nationwide curfew as the clashes between protesters demanding withdrawal of a job quota system and police continued across the country.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has said that it is paying special attention to the safety of Sri Lankan students in Bangladeshi universities, Newsfirst reported.

The MFA said that as of now, over 50 students are pursuing higher education in three universities in Bangladesh.

The Sri Lankan High Commissioner in Bangladesh has already contacted the students and their parents, providing them with safety instructions.

Additionally, the three universities have been requested to pay special attention to the students' safety and welfare.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that no Sri Lankan students in Bangladesh are reported to have been affected by the ongoing wave of protests.

Police has imposed a strict curfew with a "shoot-on-sight" order across Bangladesh as military forces patrolled parts of the capital on Saturday after scores were killed and hundreds injured in clashes over the allocation of civil service jobs.