Our Bureau
New Delhi
Amid political unrest in Bangladesh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that there are an estimated 19,000 Indian nationals of which about 9000 are students while ensuring the country that the government is in close contact with the Indian community in Dhaka.
Jaishankar informed the Lok Sabha that the bulk of the students returned to India in July.
“We are in close and continuous touch with the Indian community in Bangladesh through our diplomatic missions. There are an estimated 19,000 Indian nationals there of which about 9000 are students. The bulk of the students returned in July,” he said.
He also said that Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina requested approval from India to come at very short notice and she arrived on the evening of Monday.
“On August 5, demonstrators converged in Dhaka despite the 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. We simultaneously received a request for flight clearance from Bangladesh authorities. She arrived yesterday evening in Delhi,” he said.
The External Affairs Minister also mentioned that the government is monitoring the situation with regard to the minorities living in Bangladesh.
“Since the election in January 2024, there has been considerable tensions, deep divides and growing polarization in Bangladesh politics and “this underlying foundation aggravated a student agitation that started in June this year.”
“There was growing violence including attacks on public buildings and violence continued in July. We counselled restraint and urged the situation be resolved by dialogue, Jaishankar said in his statement in Rajya Sabha.
Despite the Supreme Court judgement on July 21, there was no letup in protests, the Union minister said.
On August 4 the situation in the neighbouring country turned serious, Jaishankar informed the Lok Sabha.
“The Army Chief, General Waker-uz-Zaman, addressed the nation on 5th August. He spoke about assuming responsibility and constituting an interim government,” the foreign minister said.
Bangladesh is facing a fluid political situation with Sheikh Hasina resigning from her post in the wake of mounting protests. The protests, majorly by students demanding an end to a quota system for government jobs, took the shape of anti-government protests.
The leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement have proposed an interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, in a bid to address Bangladesh’s ongoing challenge.
Meanwhile, in Dhaka, a day after Sheikh Hasina resigned as Prime Minister of Bangladesh and left the country, President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Tuesday, announced the dissolution of the country’s parliament to make way for the formation of an interim administration, Dhaka Tribune reported.
As per reports, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Chairperson Khaleda Zia has been released from jail and the process of releasing those detained in the student movement and various cases from July 1 to August 5 has begun, with many already being freed.
