SEPANG: It was a moment of immense relief and emotion for Nur Hamimi Harun as she was finally able to see and hug her two sons, who were among the Malaysian students evacuated from Bangladesh.
Her sons, Muhammad Alif Hazim Abdul Shukor, 22, and Muhammad Alif Haziq Abdul Shukor, 25, are medical students at Mymensingh Medical College.
Nur Hamimi said she was beyond grateful for their safe return amid the worsening situation in Bangladesh due to recent protests.
"Alhamdulillah, I am relieved to be able to hug my sons today. I am so thankful and extremely grateful.
"Thank you to the Malaysian government, the Prime Minister, and everyone at Wisma Putra and the Malaysian High Commission in Dhaka. Alhamdulillah.
"Thank you for bringing all the Malaysian citizens and students back today," she said when met by the New Straits Times at the KLIA Terminal 2 arrival hall.
Muhammad Alif Haziq, a final-year student, said he could not communicate with family members in Malaysia due to the poor connection there.
"At first, we were pretty worried because telecommunications were cut off. There was no internet, and phone connections were terrible. Initially, we couldn't contact our family in Malaysia.
"It was only on the second day that we got a call from our mother, but the quality was poor. If we couldn't call, we tried to send SMS messages," he said.
Despite some friends choosing to stay to complete their studies, Haziq said he and his brother decided to return home for their safety.
"We followed all the instructions from Wisma Putra and the Malaysian High Commission in Dhaka.
"The officers advised us to return, and then we received the mandatory order that everyone needed to return.
"We felt a huge sense of relief when we finally reached Malaysia. Alhamdulillah."
Muhammad Alif Haziq and his brother were among the 123 Malaysians repatriated from Dhaka today on an AirAsia flight.
Meanwhile, Nur Fatihah Mohd Fadhli, who will return to her hometown in Johor tonight, said she too felt immense relief after finally arriving in Malaysia following the distressing episode.
She described the situation as serious, with some students from her campus getting caught up in the protests, which heightened the overall tension.
"At first, the riots were confined to certain areas, but after a few days, students from Mymensingh Medical College also joined the protests against the government's quota system.
"We were instructed to stay indoors due to a curfew, and for six days, there was no WiFi or internet connectivity," she said.
Fatihah recounted living in constant fear, with the sounds of the riots adding to the sense of dread she and other students felt.
Muhd Faiz Jaafa, 25, described the current tension in Bangladesh, particularly in Dhaka, as one of the most frightening experiences he has had in his five years there.
"The protests began on July 8 and have intensified over the past few days. Even though I was in Mymensingh, which is quite far from Dhaka, we still felt the impact.
"Videos shared showed police officers being severely beaten and people being thrown from heights. It was a truly terrifying experience," he said.
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