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UK hesitancy casts doubt over Hasina’s next destination
Hasina, 76, and her small entourage flew into the Indian Air Force’s Hindon airbase near New Delhi in a Bangladesh Air Force aircraft late on Monday afternoon
Uncertainty surrounded former Bangladesh premier Sheikh Hasina’s plans to travel to London following the UK’s apparent reluctance to offer her asylum, even as she was moved on Tuesday from Hindon airbase to an unspecified safe location, possibly in the vicinity, people familiar with developments said.
Hasina, 76, and her small entourage flew into the Indian Air Force’s Hindon airbase near New Delhi in a Bangladesh Air Force aircraft late on Monday afternoon, hours after she quit following massive protests seeking the ouster of her government. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and senior military officials met Hasina at the airbase shortly after her arrival.
The people cited above said on condition of anonymity that Hasina was moved from Hindon airbase to a safe location under tight security. The people declined to give details for security reasons. To be sure, the Hindon base is a secure facility with provision for people to stay if needed.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar told Parliament on Tuesday that Hasina had sought approval on Monday to come to India “for the moment”. The people said she is expected to remain in India for some time because of uncertainty about her plans to travel to London, where she has relatives.
Hasina is accompanied by her sister Sheikh Rehana, a British citizen whose daughter Tulip Siddiq is a Labour Party leader in the UK. Siddiq was recently re-elected as an MP and appointed as economic secretary to the treasury and city minister.
The people said Hasina sought certain assurances from UK authorities, such as legal protection in relation to potential investigations into the violent protests that left nearly 400 people dead in Bangladesh.
However, UK foreign secretary David Lammy on Monday called for a UN-led probe into the “unprecedented levels of violence and tragic loss of life” in Bangladesh. “The people of Bangladesh deserve a full and independent UN-led investigation into the events of the past two weeks,” he said in a statement.
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The UK’s Immigration Rules have no provision for a person to be allowed to travel to Britain to seek asylum or temporary refuge. It is also not possible for a person to apply for asylum from outside Britain.
It is understood the British side believes a person needing international protection should claim asylum in the first country they reach, as this will be the fastest route to safety. In Hasina’s case, that country is India. Any asylum claim is also considered on its individual merits by the UK.
The people said these developments have cast uncertainty over Hasina’s plans to travel to the UK. They said Hasina’s team is exploring options for seeking asylum in other countries. One of the countries reportedly being looked at is Finland, where too the former premier has relatives.
Other options include Russia, Belarus or a West Asian country, the people said.
During an all-party meeting on the situation in Bangladesh on Monday morning, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi asked whether the government has information on Hasina’s future plans, people familiar with the discussions said. Jaishankar, who was among the ministers who briefed the gathering, said the Indian side has spoken to Hasina on her future course of action, but it could not be disclosed at the moment.
