123 Malaysians Evacuated From Bangladesh Riots Arrive In Kuala Lumpur

JAKARTA - A chartered flight carrying 123 Malaysians who were evacuated from riots in Bangladesh arrived in Kuala Lumpur.

The flight carrying 80 students among its passengers arrived safely at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, said Interior Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail at a news conference reported by Reuters, Tuesday, July 23.

"We are grateful for the safe return of our Malaysians," he said.

Some Malaysians chose to stay in Bangladesh because they were still undergoing the last year of study or working there, Saifuddin said, without providing details.

Cassandra David, a Malaysian citizen studying at Dhaka Medical College, thanked the government for its efforts.

"Our welfare is very important," he said.

As previously reported, protests led by students against the government's quota of work in Bangladesh turned violent last week, which killed 147 people.

Bangladesh's high court later agreed to remove most of the quota following clashes between protesters and security forces prompting the government to shut down internet services, impose curfews and deploy troops.