Five Bangladeshi nationals studying at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Assam’s Silchar have been suspended in connection with clashes at the campus and are likely to leave the country by Tuesday, institute authorities said.
The students had been studying under scholarships from the Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Study in India (SII).
On September 12, the NIT had placed the five students under academic suspension and expelled them from the hostel for a duration of two semesters. This was in connection with an incident that had taken place on the night of September 8, in which two groups of students from Bangladesh were involved in violent clashes at the institute, leaving several injured.
The institute’s director, Dilip Kumar Baidya, said that as a consequence of their suspension, the students are also leaving the country to return to their homes in Bangladesh.
“Since they have visas for their studies and are under academic suspension, and have also been expelled from the hostel, there is nothing for them to do here. They are leaving either tonight or tomorrow. They can return if they wish after their suspension period is over,” he said.
News agency PTI further quoted Baidya as saying that the were also allegedly found in possession of narcotic substances during a search of their rooms.
“We have enough evidence to establish that they were actively involved in campus violence and have been suspended for two semesters,” the director said.
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Regarding the clash on September 8, PTI quoted an eyewitness as saying, “They were armed with rods, knives and screwdrivers, and targeted Bangladeshi students from the final year, causing serious injuries in an attack that lasted nearly 30 minutes.”
Several injured students were rushed to Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH).
Two of them sustained severe head injuries and were moved to the intensive care unit, doctors said.
