Members of Sheikh Hasina’s team, who reached Delhi after resigning as Bangladesh Prime Minister and fleeing from Dhaka, have now decided to leave India. Members of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s team, who arrived in India on Monday after fleeing the violent uprising against the Awami League government, have begun the process of leaving for new destinations, India Today reported, quoting top government sources. Sheikh Hasina is accompanied by her younger sister Sheikh Rehana and some close aides, who landed at the Hindon airbase near Delhi on Monday after fleeing in an Army chopper and have been taking refuge in a secret location since then.
Sources said that Hasina has moved towards a new destination but no information has been given about where her next destination will be. Sheikh Hasina is looking at the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia or Qatar as her next destination and there is talk of her taking refuge there but it is not yet clear in which of these Muslim countries she is going to take refuge. America and Britain have already technically refused to give asylum to Hasina.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy said on Thursday that his mother will return to her country as soon as democracy is restored in Bangladesh. He said that Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI is involved in spreading unrest in his country. In an exclusive interview with PTI, Joy said that although 76-year-old Hasina will definitely return to Bangladesh, it is not yet decided whether she will return as a retired leader or as an active leader.
He also said that the members of Sheikh Mujib’s (Sheikh Mujibur Rahman) family will neither abandon their people nor leave the beleaguered Awami League helpless. Joy expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government for the safety of his mother and appealed to India to help build international opinion and press for the restoration of democracy in Bangladesh.
He said, “Yes, it is true that I had said that she will not return to Bangladesh. But a lot has changed in the last two days after the continuous attacks on our leaders and party workers across the country. Now we are going to do whatever it takes to keep our people safe. We will not leave them alone.” Joy said on the phone, “Awami League is the largest and oldest political party in Bangladesh, so we cannot go away from our people. She (Hasina) will definitely return to Bangladesh after democracy is restored.” (With Bhasha inputs)