- By Radha Basnet
- Thu, 08 Aug 2024 07:40 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Bangladesh Crisis: Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Thursday held discussions regarding the evolving situation in the neighbouring country. According to a post shared by Jaishankar on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the conversation also touched upon developments in West Asia. "Received a call from UK Foreign Secretary @DavidLammy today. Discussed the situation in Bangladesh and West Asia,” Jaishankar posted on X.
These discussions took place against the backdrop of uncertainty surrounding the status of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in India after resigning due to widespread protests in her country. There were initial reports that she might seek asylum in the UK, but these plans appear to have stalled due to the UK's immigration laws, which do not allow for applying for asylum from outside the country.
However, Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, who serves as an adviser to his mother, dismissed the asylum reports as "rumors" and stated that the former prime minister has no such plans. Instead, he expressed hope that there will be a restoration of democracy in Bangladesh, leading to a resolution between the country's two main political parties, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Awami League, and Hasina's eventual return.
Meanwhile, Jaishankar said it is up to Hasina to "take things forward" regarding her future plans, adding that it had no update on the matter. "It is not appropriate to talk about her plans," he added.
The 76-year-old Sheikh Hasina has been in New Delhi since Monday after resigning as Prime Minister amid mounting violent protests over government job quotas. She landed at the Hindon airbase in a C-130J military transport aircraft and has been shifted to an unspecified location under tight security.