Bangladesh crisis: When will Sheikh Hasina leave India? MEA shares update

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday that the Indian government had no update on former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's travel plans. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the situation was still evolving as far as Bangladesh is concerned.

When asked about India giving political asylum to former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “Our External Affairs Minister [S Jaishankar] has already explained the approval for former PM Sheikh Hasina to come to India was given at short notice.”

“We don't have an update on her plans…It won't be appropriate for me to comment on her plans. It is for her to take this forward,” said the MEA spokesperson, responding to a question about when Sheikh Hasina will leave India.

Hasina reached India after she was ousted as the Bangladesh Prime Minister on Monday amid mass protests and violence over a job quota in her country. Protesters had demanded her resignation.

After resigning as the Bangladesh prime minister on Monday, she fled to India and is expected to stay in Delhi for a “little while”. 

As per earlier media reports, she reportedly sought asylum in the UK. However, Hasina's son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, said, "The reports about her requesting asylum are incorrect."

The MEA spokesperson said that as far as India was concerned, "the interests of the people of Bangladesh are foremost in our mind."

On reports of attacks on minorities in Bangladesh

When asked about reports of attacks on minority communities in Bangladesh, the MEA spokesperson said, “We are monitoring the situation." 

Jaiswal said, "There are also reports of various initiatives by groups and organisations to ensure the protection and well-being of minorities." 

“It is the responsibility of every government to ensure the well-being of all its citizens. We hope for the early restoration of the law and order situation in Bangladesh. This is both in the interest of Bangladesh as a whole and the larger region as a whole,” he added.

“We are in touch with Bangladesh authorities. We have requested them to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals and our High Commission,” he said. He added, “We hope for an early restoration of law and order in Bangladesh so that normal transactions and life can return to normalcy.”

When asked about the condition of Indian diplomatic missions in Bangladesh, the MEA said that they had pulled back all non-essential staff and their families and that normal functioning would resume once law and order is fully restored.

“We only have our non-essential staff members and their family members have come back...this is also the situation with other embassies, they have also pulled back their non-essential people. We hope that normalcy returns so that our High Commission and Assistant High Commission can begin their normal work as soon as possible," Jaiswal said.