TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - An Indonesian citizen died as a result of the ongoing riots in Bangladesh, according to information received by the Indonesian Embassy in Dhaka on Tuesday, August 6, 2024. The Indonesian citizen, DU, died in the city of Jashore.

DU died after inhaling too much smoke after the hotel DU was staying in caught fire amid the riots, said the Indonesian Embassy in Dhaka. DU has just arrived in Bangladesh for a business trip on Thursday, August 1, 2024.

The protests in Bangladesh erupted over a government quota system for government jobs favoring families of veterans of the 1971 war of independence, which was deemed to benefit former PM Sheikh Hasina's allies, the Awami League.

The protests escalated into an attempt to overthrow Hasina, which was met with a violent crackdown by authorities that left some 250 people dead and thousands more injured.

Hasina has resigned from her post and fled Bangladesh to temporarily stay in India, media reports said.

The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it had contacted the family of the late DU in Indonesia to express condolences for the citizen’s passing and would facilitate the repatriation of the body, in collaboration with the company where DU worked.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indonesian Embassy in Dhaka again urged Indonesian citizens in Bangladesh to increase their vigilance, avoid crowds and demonstration locations, and follow the embassy’s contingency steps.

Indonesian citizens are also advised to postpone their travel plans to Bangladesh until “the security situation and conditions improve”.

In case of emergency, Indonesian citizens in Bangladesh should immediately report the situation to local security authorities and contact the Embassy’s hotline at (+880) 1614444552, or the Directorate for Citizen Protection at (+62) 812 9007 0027.

NABIILA AZZAHRA | KEMLU.GO.ID | REUTERS

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