(Image source from: x.com/ani_digital)
The Bangladeshi leader, Sheikh Hasina, met with India's National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, at the Hindon Air Force base in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad, situated about 30 kilometers from Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been updated on the situation in Bangladesh by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, but it's unclear if Mr. Modi will meet with Mrs. Hasina. Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and a Congress MP, also spoke briefly with Mr. Jaishankar on the sidelines of Parliament. Earlier, the 76-year-old five-time Prime Minister had been compelled to resign from her position after more than 300 people died in violent protests over a government job quota in the country. Sources indicate that Sheikh Hasina is expected to depart for London, where she may seek political asylum. Additionally, sources from the news agency ANI suggest that Mrs. Hasina's plane, a Bangladesh Air Force C-130 military transport, will be parked near the Indian Air Force's C-17 and C-130J Super Hercules aircraft hangars, and her plane is being refueled for the flight to London.
Field commanders have been instructed to assume "on-ground" positions and be ready for any eventuality. A 12-hour nighttime curfew is currently in effect in Meghalaya. India's railway network has suspended all trains to Bangladesh, while Air India has cancelled its two daily flights to Dhaka. Similarly, IndiGo has halted all flights for the next 30 hours, citing the situation in Dhaka and the significant inconvenience and disruption this may cause to travel plans. Vistara, which operates flights from Mumbai, is monitoring the situation but has not yet announced any cancellations.
Dhaka's Shahjalal International Airport had temporarily closed its operations for six hours, according to local media reports. Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Army, which had given Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina 45 minutes to resign after her government's inability to control the violence, has now taken control. In a televised address, the Army Chief, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, stated that the military will form an "interim government" and urged protesters to stand down, acknowledging the ongoing crisis and the decision to establish a temporary administration to govern the country. The military leader implored, "Your claims will be satisfied. Cease the unrest." Earlier, demonstrators had stormed the Prime Minister's Dhaka residence, Gonobhaban. The local media estimated that as many as 400,000 protesters took to the streets, but the exact figure could not be verified. Soldiers and police, armed with armored vehicles, had set up barricades with barbed wire around the office of Ms. Hasina, the veteran politician, but the massive crowds managed to tear down the barriers. Tragically, the clashes between police and protesters on a single day resulted in 100 deaths and over 1,000 injuries, and the total death toll has now exceeded 300.
The demonstrations started late last month over a quota system that reserved up to 30% of government jobs for families of veterans from Bangladesh's 1971 war against Pakistan. The protests escalated dramatically in the past few days, leading to intense battles between students, police, and counter-protesters. Disturbing images have emerged of vehicles and buildings ablaze, and mobs rampaging through the streets. Although the protests briefly subsided after the Bangladesh Supreme Court reduced the job reservations to 5%, they flared up again when student leaders claimed the government had ignored some of their demands, prompting calls for Sheikh Hasina's resignation.
