[🇧🇩] Bangladeshi PM Hasina Flees country amid deadly riots

[Bilal9]

The military plane, the most tracked plane today on website Flight Radar 24 which tracks the flight of all planes, was expected to land in Hindon Air Base near Delhi around 6:00pm Indian time.[/JUSTIFY]

All about flight AJAX1431 that flew Sheikh Hasina to India after escape from Dhaka

A Bangladesh-registered C-130J Hercules jet became the most tracked flight on Flightradar24.com amid reports of Bangaldesh PM Sheikh Hasina quitting and leaving her country. The jet -- with callsign AJAX1431 -- is believed to be carrying Sheikh Hasina.

www.indiatoday.in

 

[Bilal9]

BSF issues ‘high alert’ along Bangladesh-India border

India’s Border Security Force has issued a “high alert” along the 4,096 km-long India-Bangladesh border considering the current law-and-order situation in Bangladesh

www.thedailystar.net

BSF issues 'high alert' along Bangladesh-India border

View attachment 7395

India's Border Security Force has issued a "high alert" along the 4,096 km-long India-Bangladesh border considering the current law-and-order situation in Bangladesh.

The alert came following the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her fleeing to India after weeks of protest that culminated in a mass upsurge on Monday.

There have been numerous reports of violence and killings of ruling party leaders as well as policemen.

Daljit Singh Chaudhary, director general of BSF, and other officials visited the India-Bangladesh border in Dhamakhali under the North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal yesterday, reports Indian Express.

"The purpose of this visit is to review the operational preparedness and strategic deployment of BSF in these important border areas," the BSF said in a statement.

"The ongoing efforts of BSF in Sundarbans and North 24 Parganas are vital in preventing international crimes and maintaining the sovereignty of the nation considering the current situation in Bangladesh," said a BSF official.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee yesterday appealed to political leaders to not make any provocative statements on the Bangladesh crisis.

She said the Centre will decide India's stand on the crisis in the neighbouring country.

Mamata further said, "I appeal to people of all communities with folded hands to remain calm and not engage in any communal behaviour or take the law into their own hands.

"If our brothers and sisters who are there (in Bangladesh) face some trouble, the Government of India and the Government of Bangladesh will look into it. We will do what the GoI asks. I urge leaders of all political parties and everyone else to not post anything that will disrupt peace here."

She claimed that some BJP leaders have already started making 'inappropriate' comments on the situation in Bangladesh.

The West Bengal Police also asked people to not share "provocative videos".

"Given the current situation in neighbouring Bangladesh, we have noticed a few posts and videos on social media that may create discord and unrest. Please do not pay attention to rumours, do not share provocative videos, do not step into a fake news trap. The state administration is alert and vigilant. Keep calm and maintain peace," the police posted on X.​

I saw one Facebook post by WB BJP leader Shubhendu like this, saying one crore Hindus will be driven out of Bangladesh, since Bangladesh has become Taleban now. These people are just amazing!

 

[Bilal9]

She is expected to leave for London later, sources told NDTV, where she may seek political asylum.

No asylum request cleared yet. The vaunted "Brit-Bandhan" so bally-hooed by the Brits, has petered out now.

MSN

 

[Saif]

I saw one Facebook post by WB BJP leader Shubhendu like this, saying one crore Hindus will be driven out of Bangladesh, since Bangladesh has become Taleban now. These people are just amazing!

That BJP clown is entertaining us with his nonsensical comments about our country. He has the gall to call us Taleban when he himself belongs to a Hindu fundamentalist political party which is engaged in killings of minorities in India.

 

[Saif]

No asylum request cleared yet. The vaunted "Brit-Bandhan" so bally-hooed by the Brits, has petered out now.

MSN

She will meet the fate of Rohingyas of Burma.

 

[Saif]

Sheikh Hasina deployed Indian army in Bangladesh to quell student movement. Here is the proof:

 

[Saif]

India concerned over status of minorities following Hasina’s resignation

India remains deeply concerned till law and order is visibly restored in Bangladesh and it is monitoring the status of minorities following the resignation and fleeing of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, India's Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar said

www.thedailystar.net

India concerned over status of minorities following Hasina's resignation
Jaishankar says Hasina flew to India at a very short notice

India remains deeply concerned till law and order is visibly restored in Bangladesh and it is monitoring the status of minorities following the resignation and fleeing of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, India's Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar said today.

"We are also monitoring the situation with regard to the status of minorities. There are reports of initiatives by various groups and organisations to ensure their protection and well-being. We welcome that, but will naturally remain deeply concerned till law and order is visibly restored," Jaishankar said at Rajya Sabha in a suo moto statement on the situation in Bangladesh

"Our border guarding forces have also been instructed to be exceptionally in view of this complex situation," he said, a day after Hasina flew to India where she has been kept at a safe shelter.

Jaishankar expected that the government in Bangladesh will provide the required security protection for the High Commission in Dhaka and the assistant high commissions in Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna and Sylhet.

"We look forward to their normal functioning once the situation stabilises," said Jaishankar said.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs is in close and continuous touch with the Indian community in Bangladesh through its diplomatic missions. There are an estimated 19,000 Indian nationals, of which about 9,000 are students.

The bulk of the students have already returned to India in the month of July on the advice of the High Commission.

He said India-Bangladesh relations have been exceptionally close for many decades over many governments. Concern about recent violence and instability, there is shared across the political spectrum.

Since the election in January 2024, there has been considerable tensions, deep divides and growing polarisation in Bangladesh politics. This underlying foundation aggravated a student agitation that started in June this year, Jaishankar said.

There was growing violence, including attacks on public buildings and infrastructure, as well as traffic and rail obstructions. The violence continued through the month of July, he said.

"Throughout this period, we repeatedly counselled restraint and urged that the situation be defused through dialogue. Similar urgings were made to various political forces with whom we were in touch."

Despite a Supreme Court judgement on July 21, there was no let-up in the public agitation. Various decisions and actions taken thereafter only exacerbated the situation. The agitation at this stage coalesced around a one-point agenda, that is that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina should step down, the statement said.

On August 4, events took a very serious turn. Attacks on police, including police stations and government installations, intensified even as overall levels of violence greatly escalated. Properties of individuals associated with the regime were torched across the country.

"What was particularly worrying was that minorities, their businesses and temples also came under attack at multiple locations. The full extent of this is still not clear" he said.

On August 5, demonstrators converged in Dhaka despite the curfew.

"Our understanding is that after a meeting with leaders of the security establishment, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina apparently made the decision to resign. At a very short notice, she requested approval to come for the moment to India," he said.

"We simultaneously received a request for flight clearance from Bangladesh authorities. She arrived yesterday evening in Delhi," Jaishankar added.​

 

[Saif]

Hasina's ouster a seismic event in Bangladesh history: ICG

The resignation of Prime Minster Sheikh Hasina is an opportunity to avert further bloodshed, and the immediate priority now should be to prevent any further deaths, at the hands of either protesters or groups loyal to Hasina and the Awami League, said International Crisis Group (ICG)

www.thedailystar.net

Hasina's ouster a seismic event in Bangladesh history: ICG

The resignation of Prime Minster Sheikh Hasina is an opportunity to avert further bloodshed, and the immediate priority now should be to prevent any further deaths, at the hands of either protesters or groups loyal to Hasina and the Awami League, said International Crisis Group (ICG).

"The army has an important role to play in ensuring security and stability. The interim government that will now assume power should carry out a credible investigation into the tragic events of recent weeks, and ensure the thousands of protesters and opposition figures who have been detained are released," the Brussels-based global think tank said in a statement today.

"At the same time, it needs to embark on the long task of rebuilding democracy in Bangladesh, which has been so badly eroded in recent years," said ICG Senior Consultant Thomas Kean.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation is a seismic event in Bangladesh history but has come at a tragic price. In recent weeks, over 300 people have been killed, the vast majority of them protesters shot dead by police, paramilitaries and members of the ruling Awami League.

The protests emerged at a time of widespread discontent with her government, which had become increasingly authoritarian during its 15 years in power, and badly mismanaged the economy.

Hasina sealed her fate when she decided to respond to the protests with brutality and arrogance rather than pursue serious dialogue with protest leaders. She pushed Bangladeshis over the edge.

Part of the reason the protest movement gained such widespread support was the fact the country has not held a competitive election in 15 years, Thomas Kean said.

"The current crisis presents an opportunity to put Bangladesh back on the path of genuine democracy and move beyond the hyper-partisan, winner-takes-all electoral dynamics that have caused so much damage over the past three decades.

"The interim government should work with student leaders who have emerged in recent months and gained the respect of the public on political reforms to this end."​

 

[Saif]

'Hasina likely to stay in India until UK grants asylum'

Former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina is likely to stay in India until the UK grants her asylum, reports Republic TV

www.thedailystar.net

'Hasina likely to stay in India until UK grants asylum'

File photo: Reuters

Former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina is likely to stay in India until the UK grants her asylum, reports Republic TV.

It said that India is likely to provide Hasina all logistical support, reports our New Delhi correspondent quoting the TV channel.

Meanwhile, Indian Air Force and other Indian security agencies are providing security to Hasina who is being moved to a safe location, ANI said quoting unnamed sources.

Hasina is likely to meet her daughter Saima Wazed, who is based in New Delhi and working as the World Health Organisation's regional director for South-East Asia.

Security at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi's diplomatic zone Chanakyapuri has been beefed up with the installation of additional barricades and deployment of more police forces.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tonight presided over a high-level meeting of the cabinet committee on security affairs.

However, there was no official word on what transpired at the meeting which ended around 8:30pm IST.​

 

[Saif]

AL stares at a ‘political death’

Trumpeted as a champion of democracy over the last 15 years by her party colleagues and followers, Sheikh Hasina, 77, has become a pariah overnight.

www.thedailystar.net

AL stares at a 'political death'
Some leaders now say they're victims of Hasina's whim

Trumpeted as a champion of democracy over the last 15 years by her party colleagues and followers, Sheikh Hasina, 77, has become a pariah overnight.

The five-time prime minister, who is also Awami League president since 1981, is now trying to secure refuge in the UK after fleeing to India on Monday in the face of an unprecedented anti-government movement in Bangladesh's history.

Party insiders say Hasina's "undignified exit" was unbecoming of her, and a damning indictment of the bankruptcy of a party that led the Liberation War against Pakistan in 1971.

This self-seeking decision, they point out, to leave everyone to fend for themselves not only reflected badly on her, but also set back Awami League for years, if not decades, before it can recover from this situation where it faces "political death".

Hasina's fleeing the country essentially sealed the fate of Awami League, which led all most all democratic movements before and after the birth of Bangladesh, they add.

The Daily Star yesterday randomly tried to speak to top party leaders by phone, but their phones were found switched off in most cases. A several others did not pick up the call. Only two leaders agreed to talk off the record.

They said Hasina's last moment's decision to leave the country placed them in terrific situation and that they did not get enough time to secure their own safety.

"We are victims of her whim," said a central committee member.

Another leader alleged Hasina never listened to party leaders and made decisions on her own, isolating herself from the party colleagues.

"In the January 7 election, many Awami League activists did not vote for the party-nominated candidates. And during the recent protest, she failed to inspire party men to come to the streets," he said over the phone so sheepishly that it was difficult to hear.

Asked about the future of the party, he replied, "I first need to save my life. The thought of the future of the party can wait," he said, sounding frustrated.

Both leaders said Hasina's last efforts to bring partymen on the Streets to resist protesters that killed around 100 people across the country on Sunday to survive was a wrong decision. By making this decision, she set Awami League against the countrymen.

Hasina created a circle around her with some opportunists who "used" the party and the government for their personal benefits. Their advice has destroyed her own political career, a historical party like Awami League and tens of millions of party leaders and activists.

Whereabouts of the top party leaders and ministers of the immediate past cabinet are also not clear, as many have gone into hiding to save their lives amid violent attacks on ruling party men in different parts of the country.

Some of them, including Junaid Ahmad Palak and Hasan Mahmud, were reportedly caught at the airport while trying to flee the country yesterday. Several others were also beaten up.

According to the officials at the Dhaka airport, the civil aviation authority also detained general secretary of Bangladesh Chattra League's Dhaka University unit Tanbir Hasan Shaikat and the student body's Dhaka North unit president Riaz Mahmud. The detainees were handed over to the Bangladesh Army, according to officials.

Besides, the family members of two former ministers -- education minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury and Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives minister Md Tazul Islam left the country through the airport.

Former finance minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali, sports minister Nazmul Hassan Papon and Mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh also left the country through the airport since Sunday, sources said.

Former MP of Munshiganj-3 Mrinal Kanti Das also left the country.

Bangla daily Prothom Alo yesterday reported that Hasina was in favour of using greater force till the last moment, even as security personnel and top police officials declined to continue the bloodshed.

By Monday noon, tens of millions of people were marching towards the capital and Gono Bhaban with their one-point demand for her to leave office.

According to the Bangla daily, on Monday morning Hasina pushed top leaders of different law enforcement agencies and armed forces to take harsher actions against the protesters. She also refused to accept the briefing by the security personnel that the situation was completely out control.

Some of the party leaders and her advisers who were present at that time requested her to resign and hand over power to the armed forces, but Hasina did not pay any heed and asked them to strengthen the curfew instead, according to the report.

Hasina also expressed resentment at the top bosses of the armed forces and law enforcement agencies for their failure to tackle the situation and contain the protesters. Later, after consulting with her younger sister Sheikh Rehana, who was at Gono Bhaban with her, and her son Sajeeb Wazed, who is in the US, Hasina decided to step down.

According to Prothom Alo, Hasina at the last moment wanted to record a speech addressing the nation, but she was not given the time as there was intel that protesters would occupy Gono Bhaban in 45 minutes.

Hasina was given 45 minutes to pack up. She and her sister then left Gono Bhaban for Bangabhaban where she tendered her resignation to the president. Hasina took off in a military aircraft around 2:30pm and landed in India around 5:36pm.

'VERY SHORT NOTICE'

Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar told an all-party meeting yesterday that Sheikh Hasina requested permission "at very short notice" to come to India following her forced resignation.

He also said Hasina, was in shock at the turn of events, reports Indian news portal NDTV.

He said the Indian government will give Hasina time to decide her next step.

There was discussion that Hasina may fly to the UK from India.

However, British immigration rules do not allow individuals to travel to that country to seek asylum or temporary refuge, the UK Home Office told NDTV yesterday, amid speculation that Hasina will seek asylum in that country.

The UK government also said individuals seeking asylum must do so "in the first safe country they reach".

"The UK has a proud record of providing protection for people who need it. However, there is no provision for someone to be allowed to travel to the UK to seek asylum or temporary refuge," a UK Home Office spokesperson stated.

Also, amid growing queries on visa status of Hasina and others, the US said visa records are confidential under the US law, reports UNB.

"Visa records are confidential under US law; therefore, we do not discuss the details of individual visa cases," a spokesperson at the US Embassy in Dhaka told reporters yesterday.​

 

[Saif]

যাওয়ার আগে আরও র* ক্ত/পা ত চেয়েছিলেন শেখ হাসিনা

 

[Saif]

'We shoot one dead ... but the rest don't budge'

Chilling video surfaces of police talking to ex-home minister about subduing the protesters

www.thedailystar.net

'We shoot one dead ... but the rest don't budge'
Chilling video surfaces of police talking to ex-home minister about subduing the protesters

"We had to shoot them dead one by one, sir," a senior police officer by the name of Iqbal (according to the name plate on his chest) tells Asaduzzaman Khan, the former home minister, about their ordeal in dealing with the protesters.

One of the many video clips making the rounds on social media and messaging platforms shows a group of men standing in a huddle under the open sky watching a video clip while Iqbal voices his exasperation at not being able to subdue, presumably, the protesters.

While there is no obvious reference to the protests that rocked Bangladesh in late July and early August, one can only presume that the video Asaduzzaman was being shown was of a dead protester, considering Iqbal's remarks.

The 43-second video clip appears to have been recorded by someone holding a cell phone over the shoulders of Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun since his epaulette bearing the IGP's insignia are clearly visible as is his profile for a brief second.

Iqbal speaks of his frustration and failure of not being able to scare away the protesters. "We shoot one dead, or we wound one, and that is the only one that falls. The rest don't budge, sir."

He continues, "And that is why we are so scared and worried," as the home minister watches with a jaded expression the video clip showing a protester lying dead. There is not a hint of regret, or the slightest sign of guilt, nor reproach on the home minister's face.

Iqbal goes on to brief Asaduzzaman, who has been in hiding since August 5, about the dead body on the phone screen and most likely how that person was killed. Subtitles claim that the DMP commissioner is also among Iqbal's audience.

There have been a number of disturbingly violent video clips making the rounds on social media and messaging platforms showing police brutality. But this clip, about three-quarters of a minute, is perhaps the most chilling.

The keepers of the law and a minister of the republic, who are supposed to protect citizens, speak about killing them as if it were a skeet shoot.​