Sheikh Hasina Meets NSA Doval Near Delhi, Considers Seeking Asylum in UK
In a televised address to the troubled nation, Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced that the military will establish an “interim government” and urged protesters to cease their demonstrations.
Bangladesh leader Sheikh Hasina met with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Monday evening after arriving at the Hindon Air Force base in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, about 30 km from Delhi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been updated on the situation in Bangladesh by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. It is not yet confirmed if Modi will meet with Hasina.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has also had a brief conversation with Jaishankar on the sidelines of Parliament, according to his party.
Hours earlier, the 76-year-old five-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had been compelled to resign following violent protests over a government job quota that resulted in more than 300 deaths.
Hasina is expected to depart for London later, where she might seek political asylum, sources told NDTV. Her plane, a Bangladesh Air Force C-130 military transport, is reportedly parked near the Indian Air Force’s C-17 and C-130J Super Hercules aircraft hangars for refueling before the flight.
India’s Border Security Force is on high alert along the 4,096 km border with Bangladesh, with field commanders instructed to be vigilant and prepared for any situation.
A 12-hour nighttime curfew is currently in effect in Meghalaya.
Indian Railways has halted all trains to Bangladesh, and Air India has canceled its two daily flights to Dhaka. IndiGo has suspended all flights for the next 30 hours, citing the situation in Dhaka. The airline apologized for the significant inconvenience and disruption caused to travelers.
Vistara, which operates flights from Mumbai, is closely monitoring the situation but has not yet announced any cancellations, according to the Tata Sons-owned airline.
Dhaka’s Shahjalal International Airport had temporarily closed its operations for six hours, as reported by local media.
Meanwhile, after giving Sheikh Hasina 45 minutes to resign due to her government’s failure to control the violence, the Bangladesh Army has taken charge. In a televised address, Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced that the military would establish an “interim government” and urged protesters to stand down.
