Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s plan to travel to London has hit a roadblock over some “uncertainties” and she is unlikely to move out of India for the next couple of days, people familiar with the matter said on August 6.
“Ms. Hasina, who landed at the Hindon airbase on August 5 in a C-130J military transport aircraft, hours after resigning as the prime minister, has been shifted to an unspecified location under tight security,” they said.
“The former Bangladesh Prime Minister, accompanied by her sister Sheikh Rehana, planned to leave for London from India to take temporary refuge but the option is not being pursued now. This is after the U.K. government indicated that she may not get legal protection against any possible probe into the massive violent protests in her country,” they said.
Bangladesh Protests live updates - August 6
“The Awami League leader planned to travel to London through India and her aides informed Indian authorities about it before she landed in Hindon,” they said.
Hasina decided to travel to London as Rehana’s daughter Tulip Siddiq is a member of the British Parliament. Tulip is economic secretary to the Treasury and Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate.
In a statement, British foreign secretary David Lammy said in London on August 5 that Bangladesh has seen unprecedented levels of violence and tragic loss of life in the last two weeks and people of the country “deserve a full and independent UN-led investigation into the events”.
They further added, “Hasina has apprised New Delhi about her possible future steps. It is also learnt that Hasina has family members in Finland as well and that is why she also contemplated leaving for the northern European country.”
While saying that Hasina’s travel plans have hit certain issues and she may stay in the country for the next couple of days, the people also described the situation as dynamic with no definitive path or clarity on the matter.
The 76-year-old who ruled the South Asian country with an iron fist for 15 years, resigned as the prime minister following the massive protests that initially began as an agitation against a job quota scheme but weeks later morphed into a mass movement demanding her ouster from power.
The controversial quota system provided for 30% reservations in civil services jobs for the families of veterans who fought the 1971 liberation war.
Hasina’s Awami League retained power in the parliamentary election in January that was boycotted by the opposition parties.
“The former Bangladesh prime minister left her official residence Ganabhavan in a military chopper to an airbase. From the airbase, she flew into Hindon in a C-130 military transport aircraft of the Bangladesh Air Force,” the sources said.
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