“Request made at a very short notice”: S Jaishankar on Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India
Sheikh Hasina has sought permission to visit India at a “very short notice” after her forced resignation as Bangladesh prime minister, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday.
Giving a briefing to the Parliament on the “still evolving” situation in Bangladesh, Mr. Jaishankar stated that the government is in “close and constant touch” with the Indian community and urged the receiving nation to offer the required protection. He also discussed India’s response to the situation and the status of nearly 19,000 citizens in Bangladesh.
Mr Jaishankar briefed leaders at an all-party meeting this morning, where he said the government will give Mrs Hasina time to decide her next step, adding that he has sought “understanding and support” from the House.
“On August 4 (protests in Bangladesh) took a very serious turn. Attacks on police, including police stations and government establishments, intensified, while the level of violence also increased and properties belonging to persons associated with the regime were torched. What was worrying was that minorities and their businesses and temples were also attacked in several places.”
Despite a curfew, demonstrators gathered in Dhaka on August 5. It is our understanding that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made the decision to step down following a meeting with representatives of the security establishment. Soon afterward, she asked for permission to visit India temporarily. At the same time, we received the request for flight clearance. Yesterday evening, she reached Delhi.”
Additionally, he cited a speech given on Monday night, shortly after Prime Minister Hasina’s resignation, by Chief General of the Bangladesh Army Waqar-uz-Zaman, in which he urged an end to the violent protests and stated, “I have met opposition leaders… We have decided to form an interim government.”
