RBU takes initiative to help out its foreign students stuck in the state

Kolkata: Rabindra Bharati University (RBU) has taken all possible measures to ensure that its foreign students who are stuck in the state due to the lockdown do not face any difficulty during their stay.

The university accounts for the highest number of foreign students in eastern India pursuing different courses offered by the varsity. The strength of foreign students in the varsity is 207, which is over 3 per cent of the total student strength in RBU.

The foreign students hail from countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Mauritius, Palestine, Brazil, Argentina and Japan. 17 out of these 207 students were able to travel to their native countries but 190 are presently staying in the city.

Soon after the lockdown started there were issues about their lodging at one or two places. The owner of the guest house where they had been staying had no issues but some people in the neighbourhood objected to their stay claiming that they being foreigners will spread Coronavirus. The university with help from the local police station and the concerned municipality sorted out the matter. RBU has no hostel facilities and most of the foreign students stay as paying guests in areas like Baranagar, Belgharia, Dum Dum which is not far away from the university's main campus at BT Road.

"We have formed a network and our international student advisor is in constant touch with these students mainly through e-mail and messages to ensure that they face no difficulty. I am also in touch with them," said Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhury, Vice-Chancellor of RBU.

A dozen of Bangladeshi students recently faced financial problems as they do not have any bank account in the city. Their family members could not send them money. Some senior officials in the university have personally provided them assistance so that they are able to pay their lodging fees and procure food.

"Under normal circumstances, our family members come to the city and hand over money to us whenever we require it. But in the present lockdown situation, they have not been able to come to the city. We are grateful to the university for assisting us in this crisis situation," said a Bangladeshi student of the varsity.