Bangladesh: Hasina fled the country, reached India,Met Ajit Doval
#News Bureau August 5,2022
Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived in India in the evening after leaving the country. Her plane landed at Hindon Airbase near Delhi. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met her at Hindon Airbase itself. It is reported that she discussed the crisis in Bangladesh and her future steps with Doval. ANI quoted sources as saying that Doval and senior military officials met Sheikh Hasina. The Indian Air Force and other security agencies are providing her security and she is being taken to a safe place. Hasina discussed the current situation in Bangladesh and future strategy with Doval.
This development is taking place when the situation in neighboring country Bangladesh worsened. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned and left the country. There was terrible violence in Bangladesh on Monday. Anti-reservation protesters entered the Prime Minister’s palace in Dhaka. They occupied it. But Sheikh Hasina had left by then. The protesters had organized a long march in Dhaka on Monday. The army has said that an interim government is being formed in the country soon.
In a televised address to the nation, Bangladesh Army Chief Wakar-uz-Zaman urged students to “stay calm and go home”. Students have been protesting in the country over job quota reforms for the past few weeks. The violence that followed has claimed more than 300 lives so far.
Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina landed in India’s northeastern city of Agartala on Monday after fleeing Dhaka, reports CNN-News18.
According to Bangladesh’s leading newspaper Daily Star, Army Chief General Wakar-uz-Zaman said on Monday afternoon that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned and an interim government will be formed to run the country.
Gano Bhaban captured
The protesters opened the doors of Gono Bhaban at around 3 pm and entered the Prime Minister’s residence. The residence of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh is called Gono Bhaban. The protesters completely occupied Gono Bhaban and vandalized it. But Sheikh Hasina left for an unknown place before the protesters could enter Gono Bhaban. Then from an unknown location, she flew to India in a military plane. According to the Indian Express, India landed Sheikh Hasina safely at the Hindon airbase near Delhi.
TBangladesh Army Chief Wakar-uz-Zaman. The Army Chief has announced the interim government
Where it all started
Thousands of people joined the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement’s “March to Dhaka” event at Mirpur 10 crossing and marched towards Farmgate. At 1:45 pm, sources at the scene reported that thousands of protesters had gathered below the Agargaon metro rail station. Earlier, at around 12:30 pm, about 2,000 people had gathered at Mirpur 10 crossing. Army personnel were present at the spot, and thousands of people joined in from nearby streets. About 12 to 20 minutes later, the crowd began marching together towards Farmgate. They had bamboo sticks and batons but did not launch any attack or assault. They said they would defend themselves if attacked. No police or army barricading was seen on the road. By around 1:45 pm, the protesting students and public had reached below the Agargaon metro rail station, passing through Kazipara and Shewrapara, and broke through the army barricade to continue their march. After that he proceeded further and directly entered the Prime Minister’s residence i.e. Gono Bhawan.
The situation started deteriorating from Sunday itself. Once again people took to the streets against the government and started demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Last month the protests started with students demanding the abolition of quota in government jobs for the families of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s independence war against Pakistan in 1971. Reacting to the fresh violence, Hasina said that the protesters were engaged in “sabotage”. And those who did the destruction were no longer students but criminals.
The fresh incidents of violence began after protesters called for a “non-cooperation” movement, urging people not to pay taxes or consumer bills and not come to work on Sunday. Offices, banks and factories remained open, but commuters in Dhaka and other cities faced challenges in reaching their jobs.
Protesters attacked Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, a major public hospital in Dhaka’s Shahbag area, and set several vehicles on fire. Video footage showed protesters vandalising a prison van at the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court in Dhaka. Other videos showed police firing bullets, rubber bullets and tear gas at the crowd. Protesters set vehicles and ruling party offices on fire. Some people were carrying sharp weapons and sticks, according to TV footage.
India’s advisory
India’s Border Security Force issued a high alert along the India-Bangladesh border, in response to developments in the neighbouring country. Earlier, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had advised all citizens to avoid travelling to Bangladesh and those already there to exercise extreme caution, restrict their movements and remain in touch with the High Commission in Dhaka.