PM Modi Chairs High-Level Meet on Political Unrest in Bangladesh

New Delhi: The Cabinet Committee on Security convened at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s residence on Monday evening to address the escalating crisis in Bangladesh.

PM Modi also received a detailed briefing from External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on the situation.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in power since 2009, fled the country following intense protests over job quotas that turned violent, with nearly 100 casualties reported on Sunday. Despite her efforts to quell the unrest since early July, the violent turmoil forced her to resign.

Hasina’s plane, a Bangladesh Air Force C-130, landed at an airbase near Delhi on Monday evening. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met with the former prime minister. Reports suggest she plans to travel to London, potentially seeking political asylum.

Earlier in the day, Bangladesh Army Chief Waker-uz-Zaman announced the formation of an interim government, promising to restore peace and investigate recent violence.

The announcement followed chaotic scenes in Dhaka, where protesters stormed Hasina’s palace, celebrating by climbing on tanks and vandalising a statue of independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Hasina’s father.