The unrest in Bangladesh has thrown the lives of thousands of Indian students into turmoil. Many were forced to flee their studies in the midst of the escalating violence, leaving them with an uncertain future. The crisis highlights a deeper issue: the struggles of Indian students seeking affordable and accessible education.
On July 18th, Suhana Nongrum, a third-year MBBS student from Shillong, found herself in a desperate situation. Studying in Sylhet, Bangladesh, Nongrum and her fellow Indian students had to make a hasty escape from their hostel, joining a mass exodus of scholars. The journey to the border, usually a quick 40 minutes, stretched into a tense hour due to police roadblocks. Officers questioned the students’ decision to leave, emphasizing that they were leaving at their own risk. There was little support from the authorities. Nongrum and her friends waited for hours at the border before it finally opened.
The protests and violence in Bangladesh erupted over a controversial quota system that reserved 30% of government jobs for families of those who fought in the 1971 War of Independence. The Supreme Court overturned the rule, but the protests escalated into a wider movement against the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The violence left over 300 people dead and thousands arrested, culminating in a mass protest that led to Hasina’s resignation and her flight to India. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was appointed interim leader, tasked with restoring order. The UN Human Rights Office has reported that nearly 650 people died in the violence between July 16th and August 11th.
For many Indian students, the decision to study in Bangladesh stemmed from a lack of affordable education options back home. Nongrum, for instance, cleared the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) twice, but failed to secure a seat in a government medical college. Thousands of students face the same dilemma every year, seeking more affordable options in countries like Bangladesh. The stark reality is that over 2.4 million students appeared for NEET this year, competing for only about 100,000 government seats. The cost of studying in private medical colleges in India can range from 25 lakh to 1.5 crore, depending on the institution’s reputation and location. Nongrum, despite the crisis, is fortunate to be able to complete her five-year MBBS course in Bangladesh for under 32 lakh, including accommodation. Nearly 40% of her batchmates are fellow Indians, many of whom chose Bangladesh for the same reasons.
While some aspiring doctors opt for countries like Russia and Germany, the travel costs, living expenses, and language barriers deter many, especially those from smaller towns and cities. Every year, 20,000-25,000 Indian students go abroad for MBBS, a number expected to grow by 10% annually between 2023 and 2028. The growing popularity of Bangladesh, Philippines, Indonesia, and other countries for MBBS students, particularly among those from smaller towns and cities, is a testament to this trend. In 2024, around 1.34 million Indian students were pursuing higher studies abroad, a significant increase from 2023 and 2022.
A key factor in Bangladesh’s popularity is the relatively high success rate in the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), a requirement to practice medicine in India. While the FMGE has become more challenging, with only 20.89% of students passing this year, Bangladesh remains a preferred option for many.
The current crisis has left thousands of Indian students in limbo, struggling with the decision of whether to return home and potentially face limited opportunities or stay in Bangladesh and risk their education and safety. The situation highlights the urgent need for solutions to improve the affordability and accessibility of education in India, particularly in the medical field. The current crisis serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of students pursuing education abroad and the vital role of government support in ensuring their safety and academic progress.
