Chaos in Bangladesh: Wisma Putra Criticized for Delayed Action in Saving Students

Source: MalaysiaKini

Wisma Putra is under fire for allegedly being slow to protect Malaysian students in Bangladesh amid violent clashes with authorities during ongoing protests in the capital.

The criticism erupted after the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Malaysian High Commission in Dhaka moved students to safety only after the issue gained attention on social media.

University students in Bangladesh are protesting against unfair quotas in public services. The protests turned violent last Monday, resulting in clashes that have claimed 100 lives so far.

Last Thursday, Wisma Putra announced that Malaysian students had been moved to the High Commission for safety and were awaiting further instructions. However, the High Commission seemed unable to house the students.

According to Wisma Putra, the High Commission is exploring solutions, including temporary shelters and assistance for students to return to Malaysia.

Activist Shakila Zen, who raised awareness about the students’ plight, said a student informed her that the High Commission couldn’t provide shelter.

“My friend in Bangladesh said they were told to return to their accommodations because there were no facilities or funds to help them. Students who went to the High Commission were told to go back to their hostels,” she told Malaysiakini.

Last Friday, Wisma Putra stated it had helped two students leave Dhaka and provided temporary housing for a group of others. However, as of yesterday, not all Malaysian students in Dhaka were in safe locations.

Around noon yesterday, Shakila took to Twitter again to highlight the situation after being contacted by a student. The student claimed the High Commission informed them there wasn’t enough money to evacuate all Malaysian students.

According to Shakila, the student who contacted her had not yet found shelter and began reaching out to social media influencers to raise awareness about their situation.

Five hours later, Wisma Putra issued a statement saying Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan had ordered Malaysian students to be housed in the High Commission and the official residence.

Today, Wisma Putra said students affected by the protests had been relocated. But a senior aide to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim tweeted that he had shared Shakila’s post with Wisma Putra for further action since last Thursday.

Wisma Putra’s decision to activate an operations room only today has fueled further speculation about their delayed response.

When contacted, a Wisma Putra spokesperson referred to the statement released yesterday when asked why Malaysian students weren’t housed at the High Commission on Thursday.

Countries like Nepal, Bhutan, and India have already started evacuating their students from Bangladesh several days ago.

During the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, Wisma Putra was also criticized for its slow response in evacuating Malaysians from Kyiv.