Ghaziabad: The C-130J transport of the Bangladesh Air Force took off from the Hindon Airbase in Ghaziabad at approximately 9 am on Tuesday, while under close observation by Indian security agencies. However, sources later revealed that Sheikh Hasina, who resigned as Prime Minister and fled Bangladesh on Monday, was not onboard the transport aircraft.
Sheikh Hasina on Monday resigned from the office of the prime minister and left the country, amid massive protests against her government that killed over 300 people in the past few weeks. Hasina landed at the Hindon airbase in Ghaziabad, possibly on her way to London amid turmoil in Bangladesh and met Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.
The development came as the Indian government called an all-party meeting about the Bangladesh issue on Tuesday, chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. The all-party meeting was attended by Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and LoP Rahul Gandhi among others. After the meeting, Jaishankar appreciated the support from all MPs.
Jaishankar briefed the leaders on how the issue had panned out in Bangladesh and the prevailing situation in the country, sources told news agency ANI. He said Sheikh Hasina is in India and the Indian government wants to give her time to let her decide what her future course of action would be.
What are Sheikh Hasina's plans?
According to sources, the Bangladesh Air Force C-130J transport aircraft is flying with 7 military personnel in it towards its base in Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina arrived in India on Monday evening after tendering her resignation. It is not clear if Sheikh Hasina will continue to stay in Delhi or move to another location later.
She arrived in India at around 5:30 pm on Monday, landing at the Hindon Airbase in Ghaziabad, where she met National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in India and was reportedly due to travel to the United Kingdom, but there was no word from the administration in London about taking her in. Her departure came after violent protests over the quota system for government jobs in Bangladesh that killed over 300 people in the past few weeks.
What is happening in Bangladesh now?
Bangladesh's Army Chief will meet student protest leaders on Tuesday as the country awaits the formation of a new government. Traffic was lighter than usual in the usually chaotic streets of Dhaka and schools reopened with thin attendance after closing down in mid-July as protests against quotas in government jobs spiralled.
Meanwhile, Student leaders, who spearheaded the anti-quota movement that turned into a call for Hasina to resign, said early on Tuesday that Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus as the chief adviser to the interim government. Yunus is currently living in Paris after a series of criminal cases in Bangladesh and has agreed to take on the responsibility.
Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman held talks with leaders of major political parties - excluding Hasina's long-ruling Awami League - to discuss the way ahead and said it was "unanimously decided" to immediately release BNP chairperson and Hasina's long-time nemesis, Khaleda Zia, who was convicted and jailed in a graft case in 2018. A BNP spokesperson said on Monday that Zia was in hospital and "will clear all charges legally and come out soon".
(with inputs from agencies)
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