Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled the violence-hit country after resigning on Monday, will reportedly stay in India until she is granted political asylum in a third country, sources said.
Hasina, 76, is seeking asylum in the UK after fleeing Bangladesh after a month of massive and deadly anti-government protests across the country. Hasina's sister Rehana, who holds British citizenship, also accompanied the embattled leader. Sources said that no confirmation from the UK regarding Hasina’s political asylum has been received so far.
Follow real-time updates on Bangladesh riots
Rehana is the youngest daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Sheikh Fazratul Necha Mujib, the “Father of Bengal”, and the sister of Sheikh Hasina. Rehana's daughter Tulip Siddiq is a Labor member of the British Parliament.
Hasina arrives in India, meets NSA Doval:
According to the ANI news agency, around 6:30 pm, the C-130 transport aircraft AJAX1413 of the Bangladesh Air Force arrived at Hinton Air Force Base in Ghaziabad carrying Hasina and her sister. “The entire process of the aircraft from entering Indian airspace to Hinton Air Force Base in Ghaziabad was monitored by the Indian Air Force and security agencies,” the statement read.
Later, India's National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and senior military officials met the embattled leader at the air base and assured her of full security. The Indian Air Force and other security agencies are providing security to Hasina.
Read more: What’s next for Bangladesh? Violent protests leave more than 100 dead, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigns
From here, the embattled prime minister will be taken to a safe location in the nation's capital. It is reported that she will fly to London. Sources said Hasina is expected to meet other senior Indian officials today.
It was previously reported that Hasina will take a commercial flight to London after arriving in India, but the UK has yet to respond to her stay.
India on alert:
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the situation in Bangladesh. Rahul Gandhi, Member of Parliament and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, also spoke to Jaishankar. Congress said the two men gave brief speeches on the sidelines of parliament.
Read more: Sheikh Hasina reaches Delhi after fleeing Bangladesh, Jaishankar meets PM Modi | Highlights
Indian Border Security Forces are on high alert along the country's 4,096-km border with Bangladesh, with field commanders ordered to take a “ground” stance and be prepared to deal with any situation. Indian Railways has stopped all trains to Bangladesh and airlines such as Air India have also canceled flights to Dhaka.
Hasina's rule in Bengal:
Bangladesh's five-term Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned on Monday amid widespread unrest in the country over a controversial quota system that reserves 30% for the families of veterans of the 1971 liberation war. Government jobs.
Born to Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the main architect of Bangladesh's independence, Hasina has been at the forefront of Bangladesh's pro-democracy movement. On August 15, 1975, Hasina's father, mother and three brothers were assassinated by several army officers at their home. Hasina was not abroad at the time and had been in exile for six years.
Read more: Who is Sheikh Hasina? Democracy advocates seen as “dictators”
In 1981, Hasina returned to Bangladesh and became a democracy advocate. After becoming the leader of the opposition in Bangladesh's parliament, Hasina spoke out against military rule and took steps to protect the human rights of all citizens.
She first became prime minister in 1996. Hasina has also been accused of suppressing the opposition ahead of the January 2024 elections. According to the BNP, more than 20,000 of its leaders, members and supporters have been arrested since October 2023.
What happens next in Bangladesh?
On Monday, shortly after Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled the country, Bangladesh's army chief General Wak-uz Zaman took over the government and announced the formation of an interim government.
The general confirmed Hasina's resignation and assumed responsibility for the government in a televised speech.
“I take full responsibility. The country has suffered a lot. The economy has been hit, many people have been killed – it is time to stop the violence. I hope that after my speech the situation will improve,” he said.
Read more: Who are the members of Bangladesh's new interim government after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the turbulent country?
Wearing a military uniform and cap, he said: “We will form a provisional government.”
The Army Chief said he met political leaders and told them that the Army would take over the responsibility of law and order. As protests escalate across the country, he said he has asked the military and police not to shoot.
What happened in Bangladesh?
Bangladesh has been marred by protests and violence that began last month when student groups demanded the scrapping of a controversial government job quota system. Bengalis have been protesting against the government's allocation of 30 per cent job quota to families of veterans of the 1971 war. Due to the violence, the Supreme Court decided to reduce the quota to 5%. However, this did not help end the protests.
Reuters reports that nearly 250 people have been killed in violence so far.
Get the latest updates on the unrest in Bangladesh and Sheikh Hasina in our live blog.
