In a high-level meeting held on Tuesday, the central government briefed leaders from all political parties on the recent dramatic collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh. Key ministers assured that India is prepared to take all necessary steps should the situation in the neighboring country deteriorate further.
Representing the government were Home Minister Amit Shah, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Health Minister JP Nadda, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju. The opposition was led by Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
Jaishankar’s briefing
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar provided a comprehensive briefing on the potential impacts of the developments in Bangladesh on India and outlined New Delhi’s strategy in case of external interference. According to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, Gandhi inquired about Sheikh Hasina’s future plans following her arrival at Hindon airbase near Ghaziabad in a Bangladesh Air Force aircraft on Monday, shortly after her resignation.
Gandhi expressed concerns about possible infiltration and asked if any “foreign forces,” particularly China, were linked to the turmoil in Bangladesh. Jaishankar responded that the Indian side had communicated with Hasina regarding her future course of action, but specifics could not be disclosed at this time.
The government representatives also highlighted that a Pakistani diplomat had changed his display picture on social media to express support for the uprising that ousted Hasina.
There was uncertainty about Hasina’s exact whereabouts on Tuesday, with reports suggesting she had been moved from Hindon airbase, where she had spent Monday night. The government has not yet made an official statement on the developments in Bangladesh or Hasina’s future plans.
Jaishankar mentioned the potential formation of an interim government in Bangladesh and assured that New Delhi is in constant touch with the Bangladesh Army. The Indian Army has been alerted, and steps have been taken to ensure the safety and security of the country. He also described the current situation at the India-Bangladesh border as “not alarming.”
Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman and President Mohammed Shahabuddin announced on Monday that an interim government would be formed to run the country. However, there is still no clarity on the timeline for this setup or who will head it. Notably, Hasina’s Awami League party was not among the political parties consulted by the army chief regarding the formation of a caretaker administration.
A key focus for the Indian government is ensuring the safety of approximately 20,000 Indians, including about 8,000 students, who were in Bangladesh when the violent protests began last month. Most students have returned home, but about 12,000 Indians, including professionals, remain in Bangladesh.
Jaishankar also mentioned reports of attacks on minority communities in Bangladesh, with properties and assets being destroyed. He assured them them that appropriate steps would be taken to ensure their safety.
The opposition parties expressed their solidarity with the government in managing the fallout from the developments in Bangladesh.
The all-party meeting was attended by prominent leaders including Congress’s KC Venugopal, TR Baalu of the DMK, Lallan Singh of the JD-U, Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party, Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Derek O’Brien of the Trinamool Congress, Misa Bharti of the RJD, Arvind Sawant of Shiv Sena (UBT), Sasmit Patra of the Biju Janata Dal, Supriya Sule of the NCP-SP, and Ram Mohan Naidu of the TDP.
