India to help Sheikh Hasina, in touch with Bangladesh Army
New Delhi: India is monitoring the situation with regard to minorities in Bangladesh and is in "close and continuous" touch with the Indian community there through its diplomatic missions, the government informed the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
In a statement to the Upper House, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also briefed the MPs on former prime minister Sheikh Hasina's "very short notice" request to come to India "for the moment".
He said India has instructed its border guarding forces to be exceptionally alert in view of this complex and still evolving situation in the neighbouring country.
"There are an estimated 19,000 Indian nationals there, of which about 9,000 are students. The bulk of the students, however, have already returned to India in the month of July," Jaishankar told the Upper House.
"On August 5, demonstrators converged in Dhaka despite 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 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. The situation in Bangladesh is still evolving," he said.
"Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman , addressed the nation on August 5. He spoke about assuming responsibility and constituting an interim government. We are in close and continuous touch with the Indian community in Bangladesh through our diplomatic missions," Jaishankar said.
India is also monitoring the situation with regard to the status of minorities, he said.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday told an all-party meeting that India has assured help to former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who arrived here on Monday evening, and given her time to decide the future course of action, sources said.
Briefing political party leaders in Parliament House, Jaishankar said India was in touch with the Bangladesh Army to ensure the safety of over 10,000 Indian students in that country, the sources said.
“Briefed an All-Party meeting in Parliament today about the ongoing developments in Bangladesh. Appreciate the unanimous support and understanding that was extended,” Jaishankar posted on X after the meeting.
Congress leader Karti Chidambaram said the government had briefed an all-party meeting on the situation in Bangladesh.
“Congress party is fully with the government as far as national security and national interest are concerned,” Chidamabaram told. However, he was not present at the meeting.
Bangladesh plunged into uncertainty after extraordinary street protests over job quota forced Prime Minister Hasina to quit and flee.
The all-party meeting was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, DMK leader T R Baalu, NCP leader Supriya Sule among others.
