119 Maldivians in Bangladesh in good health: Ministry

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday has confirmed that the Maldivian locals currently in Bangladesh are all in good health.

For weeks, Bangladesh has been embroiled in violent face-offs between students and security forces that have already more than 200 lives according to figures verified by BBC Bangla.

Amid ongoing protests, the Maldives High Commission in Bangladesh has been closely monitoring its population in the country.

According to the High Commission, 78 Maldivian students are currently based in Chittagong, 7 more in Dhaka and 1 in Komila. The commission is maintaining regular communication with these students to check their status.

Inclusive of the students, a total of 119 Maldivians currently reside in Bangladesh.

The Maldives High Commission further requested locals adhere to the curfew regulations imposed by the Bangladesh government.

The High Commission further urged to contact them for assistance if and when required.

The Bangladesh Supreme Court cut the veterans' quota to 5 percent on July 21, but protests have continued to spread amid outrage over the violence. Earlier, the top court held that 93 percent of jobs should be awarded based on merit.

The Bangladesh government has also banned popular social platforms, including Facebook and TikTok, citing that the platforms were used to spread misinformation about the ongoing protests in the country.