Bangladesh leader Sheikh Hasina on Monday evening landed at the Hindon Air Force base in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, about 30 km from Delhi. Hours earlier, 76-year-old five-time prime minister Hasina resigned from her post following violent protests over reservation in government jobs that left over 300 people dead.
Sheikh Hasina is expected to leave for London immediately, sources told NDTV.
Sheikh Hasina’s plane – a C-130 military transport aircraft of the Bangladesh Air Force – will be parked near the Indian Air Force’s C-17 and C-130J Super Hercules aircraft hangars, sources told news agency ANI.
Foreign Minister S Jaishankar has briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the situation in Bangladesh. There is no information yet on whether Mr Modi will meet Mrs Hasina or not.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Army, which had given Sheikh Hasina 45 minutes to resign, has taken control after failing to control the violence. Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman said in a televised address that the military would form an “interim government” and asked protesters to back off.
Read | Sheikh Hasina resigns after Bangladesh Army’s 45-minute notice: Key developments
The Army Chief said, “This is a crisis. I have met the opposition leaders and we have decided to form an interim government to run this country. I take full responsibility and promise to protect your lives and property. Your demands will be met. Please stop the violence.”
Read | Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned, army staged a coup amid massive protests
Earlier today, protesters barged into Gonobhaban, the Prime Minister’s residence in Dhaka.
Read | Bangladesh: Protesters storm Sheikh Hasina’s palace amid violent clashes
Local media estimated there were more than 400,000 protesters in the streets, but it was impossible to confirm the number. AFP reporters said soldiers and police with armoured vehicles had barricaded roads leading to Ms Hasina’s office with barbed wire, but huge crowds poured into the streets and broke through the barriers.
But by then the senior politicians had fled.
Read | Bangladesh: Protesters storm Sheikh Hasina’s palace amid violent clashes
On Sunday alone, 100 people were killed and more than 1,000 injured in clashes between police and protesters. The death toll has since crossed 300.
The protests began late last month against a quota system that reserved up to 30 percent of government jobs for family members of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s 1971 war against Pakistan.
Read | 300 people killed, Sheikh Hasina fled: Reasons behind violent protests in Bangladesh
Since then, especially in the last few days, incidents have escalated dramatically, resulting in fierce clashes between students, police and counter-protesters. There have been shocking scenes of vehicles and buildings being set on fire and mobs rampaging in the streets.
The protests subsided for a while after Bangladesh’s Supreme Court reduced the reservation to 5 percent. But it flared up again after student leaders said the government had ignored some of their demands. This led to calls for Sheikh Hasina’s resignation.
India’s Border Security Force is on high alert along the country’s 4,096-km border with Bangladesh, with field commanders ordered to take charge of the situation “on the ground” and be prepared for anything. The Indian Railways has halted all trains to Bangladesh and Air India has cancelled its two daily flights to Dhaka.
With inputs from agencies
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