The United States has recommended that its citizens do not travel to Bangladesh and allowed the voluntary departure of its non-emergency government employees and family members in view of the ongoing civil unrest in the South Asian country, "where shoot-at-sight" orders from police remain in force till Sunday late afternoon.
Death toll in the violence has gone up to 114, various sources report.
The US, a day before, issued a new travel advisory for Bangladesh, urging Americans to reconsider their travel to the strife-torn country.
The developments came amid a strict curfew with shoot-at-sight orders imposed by Bangladesh police across the country in a move to end protests, largely by students demanding an end to quotas in government jobs, which began weeks ago.
Curfew was extended till 3 pm on Sunday with soldiers patrolling various Dhaka areas even as the death toll up to 114, media outlets reported.
Meanwhile, the High Commission of India in Dhaka and the Assistant High Commissions in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Khulna continued to assist the return of Indian nationals home.
In a post on social media platform X, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, "778 students have have returned to India through various land ports. In addition, around 200 stuents have returned home by regular flight services through Dhaka and Chittagong Airports.
"The High Commission of India in Dhaka and our Assistant High Commissions are in regular touch with more than 4,000 students remaining in various universities in Bangladesh and are providing necessary assistance.
"Students from Nepal and Bhutan have also been assisted with their crossing into India on request," the post from MEA said.
The US Department of State raised the Travel Advisory Level for Bangladesh to Level 4 - 'Do Not Travel'.
"Do not travel to Bangladesh due to civil unrest, crime, and terrorism," the State Department said, adding, "The department allowed for the voluntary departure of non-emergency US government employees and family members.
"The Government of Bangladesh has declared a curfew throughout Bangladesh, ordering everyone to stay indoors. The Bangladeshi Army has been deployed throughout the country to reinforce the police. Telecommunications have been interrupted in Dhaka and across the country. Due to the security situation, there may be a delay in provision of routine consular services," the advisory stated.
The US State Department said crimes such as muggings, burglaries, assaults, and illegal drug trafficking constitute the majority of criminal activity in Bangladesh's major cities, but there are no indications foreigners are being targeted because of their nationality.
These crimes tend to be situational, based on time and location, it said.
The advisory said attacks can happen with little or no warning, with terrorists targeting public areas such as tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, restaurants, places of worship, school campuses, and government facilities.
Because of the security concerns, US Embassy personnel in Bangladesh are subject to some movement and travel restrictions.
The US government may have limited ability to provide emergency services to its citizens in Bangladesh due to these travel restrictions, a lack of infrastructure and limited host government emergency response resources, it said.
The department asked US nationals to take certain precautions, such as avoiding demonstrations and political gatherings, monitoring local media for breaking events and being prepared to adjust plans, in case they decide to travel to Bangladesh.
(With inputs from PTI).
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