Bangladesh crisis: All-party meet discusses India’s response, govt issues advisory – key highlights
India is keeping a close watch on crises in Bangladesh, where anti-government protests have killed more than 300 people in the past month and injured several thousands. Protests took an ugly turn on Monday as violent mobs in the capital city of Dhaka attacked everything from the prime minister's residence to government offices and statues of key leaders. Bangladesh's army chief Waker-Uz-Zaman, who took over the government after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina abruptly resigned and fled the country, is expected to announce a new government soon. Reports say Nobel Peace Laureate Muhammad Yunus could be elected as the head or chief adviser to the new government. As the crisis unfolds, India's leadership seems "unanimous" in its support of Bangladesh. The country has beefed up the security measures along its border areas with Bangladesh, especially along Tripura which shares an 856-km long border with it.
Here are key developments in the Bangladesh crisis:
In an advisory to Indians in Bangladesh, the country's mission advises to "avoid" local travel. "In view of the ongoing situation in Bangladesh, the Indian community members and the Indian students residing in Bangladesh are advised to avoid local travel and minimise their movement outside their living premises. In case of any urgent or need for assistance, please reach out to the High Commission and our assistant high commissions," the advisory says.
Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar chaired an all-party meeting today, in which key government and opposition leaders also participated. He briefed the leaders about the ongoing situation in the country and India's response to it. "Briefed an All-Party meeting in Parliament today about the ongoing developments in Bangladesh. Appreciate the unanimous support and understanding that was extended," says the Union minister.
Former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina, who resigned and fled the country to India amid protests on Monday, has been moved to an "undisclosed" location. After the Bangladesh government's request, the former PM of Bangladesh was provided a safe passage through India. Reports suggest she may move to London once her asylum request is accepted.
The share market in Bangladesh cheered the news about the formation of a new government and opened in green, with the benchmark index DSE surging 165 points in the early morning trade until 10.50 am. Other key indices like DS30 and DSES also rallied 69 and 30 points, respectively.
Violent clashes have been reported in Dhaka, its neighbouring areas, and Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi Army is deployed nationwide. Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport temporarily paused operations on August 5.
Commenting on the current situation, Prof Yunus slammed Hasina, saying Bangladesh has been "freed" after her removal. He accused the Iron Lady of Bangladesh of behaving like a “dictator”. Yunus was jailed and convicted of the violation of labour laws in Bangladesh in January. The 2006 Nobel Laureate is currently in Paris, where he went after his release on bail. He has been widely credited with pioneering the concepts of "microcredit and microfinance".
The World Bank has said it is assessing the overall situation in Bangladesh. A spokesperson said the global organisation is evaluating the impact of its programmes launched in the country. As of FY24, the World Bank had committed projects worth $2.85 billion in Bangladesh.
The US has also issued an advisory on travel to Bangladesh and ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. government employees and family members. "Travelers should be aware of petty crimes such as pickpocketing in crowded areas. Because of security concerns U.S. Embassy personnel in Bangladesh are subject to some movement and travel restrictions. The U.S. government may have limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Bangladesh due to these travel restrictions, a lack of infrastructure, and limited host government emergency response resources.”