India assures help to ex-Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina, MEA Jaishankar tells all-party meeting

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar briefed an all-party meeting in Parliament on Tuesday, August 6, about the ongoing political crisis and violence in Bangladesh. During the session, he outlined India's response to the situation in the neighbouring country and is expected to make a formal statement in the House soon.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Jaishankar wrote, “Briefed an All-Party meeting in Parliament today about the ongoing developments in Bangladesh. Appreciate the unanimous support and understanding that was extended.”

During the meeting, Jaishankar told an all-party meeting that India has assured help to Sheikh Hasina, who arrived here on Monday evening, and given her time to decide the future course of action, newswire PTI reported quoting sources. 

The opposition leaders in both Houses, Mallikarjun Kharge (Rajya Sabha) and Rahul Gandhi (Lok Sabha), attended the all-party meeting convened by the central government today.

Meanwhile, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of the former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said his mother would not make a political comeback as she is “deeply disappointed” by the uprising against her leadership despite her efforts for the betterment of Bangladesh, Dhaka Tribune reported.

Joy, who served as the former prime minister's official adviser until Monday, said in an interview with a British public service broadcaster's Newshour program that Sheikh Hasina had been contemplating resignation since Sunday and had left the country for her safety following pressure from her family.

“She has turned Bangladesh around. When she took over power it was considered a failing state. It was a poor country. Until today it was considered one of the rising tigers of Asia,” Joy said, defending his mother's record in office.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned from her post on Monday after mounting protests and landed at the Hindon Air Base near New Delhi in a C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft.

At least 135 people were killed in Bangladesh on Monday during unrest with police firings, mob beatings, and arson across the country.

Newspaper Prothom Alo, citing Dhaka Medical College Hospital sources, reported that 500 people were brought to the hospital with various injuries, including gunshot wounds. 70 of them have been admitted to hospital.

After reports surfaced that Sheikh Hasina had departed from Bangladesh, people celebrated on the streets.

The Bangladesh protests, mostly by students, demanded an end to a quota system for government jobs and grew into an uprising against Hasina and her ruling Awami League party. At least 95 people, including at least 14 police officers, died, and hundreds of people were injured in clashes in Dhaka on Sunday. 

(With inputs from agencies)