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Informist, Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024

NEW DELHI – External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar today Sheikh Hasina, who stepped down as prime minister of Bangladesh on Monday, requested permission to come to India "for the moment".

"At very short notice, she requested approval to come for the moment to India. We simultaneously received a request for flight clearance from Bangladesh authorities. She arrived yesterday (Monday) evening in Delhi," Jaishankar said in a suo-moto statement in Parliament.

"Our understanding is that after a meeting with leaders of the security establishment, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina apparently made the decision to resign," Jaishankar said.

There have been considerable tensions, deep divides and growing polarisation in Bangladesh politics since the elections in January, the minister said. Despite the Bangladesh Supreme Court scrapping most of the quotas on government jobs, there was no let-up in the agitation, and it was coalesced around a one-point agenda, that Sheikh Hasina should step down, he said.

The situation is still evolving with Bangladesh set to have an interim government, Jaishankar said, adding that Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman on Monday spoke about constituting an interim government.

The minister expressed concern over the current situation in Bangladesh, particularly about the status of minorities, and said the Indian government is in constant touch with the authorities in Dhaka.

"There are reports of initiatives by various groups and organisations to ensure their protection and well-being. We welcome that, but will naturally remain deeply concerned till law and order is visibly restored."

The minister said that the Indian government is in continuous touch with Indian nationals in Bangladesh through diplomatic missions. "There are an estimated 19,000 Indian nationals there, of which about 9,000 are students. The bulk of the students have already returned to India in the month of July on the advice of the High Commission," he said.

He also said that the border forces have been instructed to be "exceptionally alert" due to the "complex situation".

Earlier today, the government convened an all-party meeting on the Bangladesh situation. According to sources, Jaishankar informed the meeting that the government assured Hasina of all possible support. He also informed that the government is in touch with the Bangladesh army.  End

Reported by Kuldeep Singh

Edited by Saji George Titus

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