Bangladesh protest: Jaishankar says Delhi in touch with Dhaka, expects ’host govt’ to protect Indian diplomatic missions

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said in Parliament that India has been "in regular touch with authorities in Dhaka" and the Indian community in Bangladesh amid the violence and political developments in the neighbouring country.

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"As violence continued throughout July [in Bangladesh], we repeatedly counselled restrain and urged the situation be diffused through dialogue. Similar urgings were made to various political forces with whom we were in touch," Jaishankar said.

"We are in close and continuous touch with the Indian community in Bangladesh through our diplomatic missions," he informed Parliament.

"It is our expectation that the host government will provide the required security protection for these establishments [High Commissions in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Sylhet and Khulna]... in the last 24 hours, we have also been in regular touch with authorities in Dhaka...," the external affairs minister added.

Jaishankar's statement came after Sheikh Hasina stepped down as the Bangladesh prime minister amid violence in her country and protesters demanding her resignation.

Bangladesh has been witnessing nationwide protests since June over a special job quota bill that allowed reservations for families of veterans who fought the 1971 liberation war. The protests turned violent last month.

The Supreme Court, in a ruling on July 21, scaled back the reservation for veteran's relatives in government jobs from 30 per cent to 5 per cent. The verdict, however, was not enough to quell unrest as the protesters demanded Hasina's resignation.

Giving in to the pressure, Hasina resigned as the Bangladesh Prime Minister on Monday and fled to India. She is likely to seek asylum in the United Kingdom.

On Monday, Jaishankar said in Parliament, “Our understanding is that after a meeting with leaders of security establishments, PM Sheikh Hasina apparently made the decision to resign. At very short notice, she requested approval to come for the moment to India. She arrived yesterday evening in Delhi."

Hasina, 76, ruled the South Asian country with an iron fist for 15 years. The massive protests that led to her resignation initially began as an agitation against the job quota scheme but weeks later morphed into a mass movement demanding her ouster from power.

Bangladesh army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced on Monday afternoon on state television that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had resigned and the military would form an interim government.