Bangladesh Was In Talks With India For Safe Passage: Sources In Indian Security Establishment

Bangladesh armymen as PM Sheikh Hasina fled the country. (AFP)

The Indian High Commission in Dhaka is on high alert, awaiting further instructions from the Indian government on the next steps to ensure the safety and stability of the region and the officers and other Indian nationals.

Hectic discussions have been going on between Bangladesh and India, along with multiple third countries, over the past few days to secure safe shelter, according to sources in the Indian security establishment. The urgency of these talks stemmed from the recent political upheaval in Bangladesh over the quota crisis and the students’ protest, they said.

The crisis reached its peak last week after over 100 people were killed in a day. The Bangladesh army and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), formed as an anti-crime and anti-terrorism unit in the country, aligned with Hasina’s government, however the protests spread fast over the last week, a senior officer of an Indian agency, who is involved in coordination and served in Dhaka told News 18.

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After Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and her decision to fly out of the country, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, the Chief of Army Staff, in a press conference said that the army took over and formed an interim government. General Zaman is the husband of ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s cousin.

INDIAN OFFICERS ON GROUND, MONITORING SITUATION

Sheikh Hasina, who held power in Bangladesh for nearly two decades, has faced considerable danger during her tenure, surviving between 17 to 19 assassination attempts, according to sources within central agencies. These agencies have been closely coordinating with their Bangladeshi counterparts to navigate the current crisis.

Indian officials are playing a crucial role in this coordination effort, with several officers from Indian agencies still on the ground in Bangladesh, serving across cities from Dhaka to Chittagong, all strategic locations in the country.

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Meanwhile, the Indian High Commission in Dhaka is on high alert, awaiting further instructions from the Indian government on the next steps to ensure the safety and stability of the region and the officers and other Indian nationals. “The international community is watching closely as these developments unfold, with the hope that a peaceful resolution can be reached through diplomatic efforts involving multiple nations,” said another senior officer in a central agency.

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