Many medical students from India, including those from Bengal, studying in the private medical colleges of Bangladesh, have returned home and are concerned about when they would be able to rejoin their classes.

Some of them have been told by college authorities as well as the Indian high commission in Dhaka to return and rejoin classes after August 15.

Officials of several medical colleges in Bangladesh said last week that although they have reopened the institutions, classes have not yet started.

Sayantan Das, 25, from Siliguri, is doing his internship at Popular Medical College Hospital in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi. He had returned to India on July 29, when the curfew had been relaxed.

“The college authorities had provided transport and escort to the airport,” he said.

During the protests, many students had suffered injuries and came to Popular Medical College Hospital, said Sayantan.

“There were those with bullet and pellet injuries and I helped treat them before returning to India,” he said. Sayantan said the college authorities have told him clarity on when classes would resume could emerge after August 15.

Sk Abul Qasem, 25, from Sagar Islands in South 24-Parganas, is doing his medical internship at the Central Medical College and Hospital, Comilla.

“I had left Bangladesh on July 12, just when the trouble had started. The college authorities had escorted us to the Agartala border. There were two police vehicles, one at the front and another at the back of our bus till the border,” said Qasem, who was part of a group of 20 medical students and interns from India.

“I have been told by the authorities that the college has reopened. I had contacted the Indian high commission and was told to go back after August 15. So, I have booked my flight ticket for August 16,” said Qasem.

According to Belal Hossain, managing director, Effort Consultancy Pvt Ltd, an agency that handles foreign medical students, there are around 10,000 to 12,000 medical students from India studying in private medical colleges in Bangladesh.

“Many students and guardians are contacting us. We are also coordinating with the medical colleges and expect classes to resume soon with the formation of the new government. There should not be further delays,” said Hossain.

Reza Tehreem, another intern at the Central Medical College and Hospital, has returned home, to Kashmir’s Anantnag.

“I had been asked by the college authorities to be ready to return to Comilla this week,” he said.

Md Rezaul Hassan, secretary of the Monno Medical College and Hospital, Dhaka, said it has 229 Indian students out of whom only eight have stayed back while others returned to India.

“All of them were safely sent back to India after July 18. Classes were suspended after that,” said Hassan.

He said although the college has reopened, it would take some time for all the students to return.