Fear grips Indian students in Bangladesh as attacks on minorities rise after political upheaval. A report urges zero tolerance toward violence, warning that student safety, academic trust, and Bangladesh’s global education reputation are at serious risk.
Fear and uncertainty are rapidly becoming part of daily life for thousands of Indian students studying in Bangladesh, as rising attacks on religious minorities and growing political instability spark serious concerns over their safety. A recent report has warned that Bangladesh risks losing its moral and academic credibility if it fails to adopt a zero-tolerance policy toward violence against foreign students, supported by credible prosecutions rather than symbolic assurances.
According to the report published by Eurasia Review, Indian students—particularly those enrolled in medical colleges—are increasingly afraid to step outside their hostels after dark. Universities, the report argues, must move beyond reactive measures such as imposing curfews and instead actively defend their students’ safety beyond campus gates.
“There are many ways a country can lose its moral standing,” the report states. “One of the quietest—and most corrosive—is when students begin to fear walking outside their hostels because of the passport they carry. Bangladesh today is drifting dangerously close to that line.”
The report highlights the experience of “Karim,” a pseudonym used for an Indian medical student in Dhaka who spoke to an international media outlet. Karim reportedly locks himself inside his hostel room every evening—not due to academic pressure, but out of fear.
“He listens carefully before opening his door. He avoids markets. He hides his accent,” the report notes. “His education—funded by his father’s life savings—has become a daily exercise in vigilance. What once felt like a second home now feels, in his own words, like a jail.”
This fear is not isolated. More than 9,000 Indian medical students are currently enrolled in Bangladesh, most of them driven by necessity rather than choice. India’s highly competitive medical education system produces over two million aspirants annually, while government medical seats remain below 60,000. Private medical colleges in India are available but often at costs that many middle-class families find unaffordable.
Bangladesh emerged as a practical alternative, offering recognized medical degrees at nearly half the cost. For years, this arrangement benefited both sides. Indian students blended into urban academic life, studied alongside Bangladeshi peers, and contributed significantly to the country’s education sector. Political tensions rarely spilled into classrooms or hostels.
That fragile balance, the report warns, has now collapsed.
Since the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, attacks on religious minorities—particularly Hindus—have reportedly increased. While Bangladeshi authorities maintain that these incidents are politically motivated rather than communal, the distinction offers little reassurance to students facing daily discrimination and intimidation.
“Intent matters far less than impact,” the report observes. “A student whose identity triggers hostility experiences the same fear regardless of the political explanation offered.”
The growing anxiety among Indian students threatens to turn education into collateral damage in an already volatile South Asian geopolitical environment. When students become proxies for political resentment, the consequences extend beyond bilateral relations and strike at the very foundation of cross-border academic cooperation.
“When learning spaces are no longer neutral, everyone loses,” the report states. “Host countries lose trust, sending countries lose confidence, and the idea that education can transcend politics erodes.”
The report urges Bangladeshi authorities to act decisively by ensuring student safety through visible law enforcement, swift investigations, and strict punishment for perpetrators of violence. Universities, it adds, must take a more proactive role by standing publicly with their students and coordinating closely with local authorities.
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Failure to act, the report warns, could result in long-term reputational damage for Bangladesh as an education destination, pushing foreign students to seek safer alternatives elsewhere.
For thousands of Indian families who invested their savings and hopes in cross-border education, safety is no longer an abstract concern—it is a daily question of survival. Unless meaningful action is taken, fear may succeed where diplomacy once thrived.
