Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who resigned on Monday, arrived at the Hindon airbase, Ghaziabad in a Bangladesh air force transport aircraft. She is reportedly planning to leave for London after a brief stopover at the airbase.
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met Hasina at Hindon Air Base.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the situation in Bangladesh, sources said. Taking note of the fast evolving situation in Bangladesh, the BSF was on high alert while the Delhi Police further strengthened security around the Bangladesh High Commission in the national Capital. Air India and Indigo announced the suspension of their operations to and from Dhaka.
Hasina’s C-130 plane landed at the Hindon airbase in the evening. Indian Air Force fighter jets were airborne as soon as her aircraft entered Indian air space and kept an eye on it for some time, sources said.
However, they said it was not immediately clear whether the military transport aircraft will take her beyond India or she will travel to London in a different plane. Hasina is likely to meet her daughter Saima Wazed, who is based in Delhi. Wazed is working as the World Health Organisation’s regional director for South-East Asia.
Sources said India decided to provide a safe passage through the Indian airspace to Hasina’s aircraft following a request from Dhaka. Indian Government sources said New Delhi is closely following the fast-paced developments in Dhaka. Hasina is likely to be moved into a safe house in New Delhi soon, where she will reside for a few days, it was learnt.
In Dhaka, Bangladesh Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman said Hasina has resigned and an Gnterim government is taking over the responsibilities. “I’m taking all responsibility (of the country). Please cooperate,” he said in a televised address.
Meanwhile, the Border Security Force (BSF) on Monday issued a “high alert” across all its formations along the 4,096-km India-Bangladesh border in the wake of the developments in the neighbouring country, officials said.
BSF Director General (Acting) Daljit Singh Chawdhary and other senior commanders have landed in Kolkata to review the security situation, they said. The BSF chief toured the North 24 Paragans district and Sunderbans area to review preparations.
The force has directed all its field commanders to be “on ground” and “deploy all personnel on border duty immediately,” it was learnt.
An spokesperson for its South Bengal Frontier based in the Kolkata headquarters said, “In view of the changed situation in Bangladesh, the BSF has issued alert all along Indo-Bangladesh border and the number of troops deployed along the border has been increased.”
He added, “Leave of all the personnel posted along the Bangladesh border were cancelled in the last few weeks after Bangladesh witnessed massive protests and now all units have been asked to acquire an all alert posture.”
The BSF guards the Indian front on the eastern flank of the country that runs along five states. West Bengal shares a total of 2,217 kilometres of its border with Bangladesh, along with Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Assam (262 km) and Mizoram (318 km).
In a related development, the Delhi Police has further strengthened security at the Bangladesh High Commission in Chanakyapuri here in the wake of developments in the neighbouring country.
“More barricades have been placed outside the commission and the number of police personnel deployed there has been increased,” a Delhi Police officer said.