Bangladesh’s ousted leader Sheikh Hasina did not seek asylum anywhere, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy said in an interview recently. Hasina reached India after she resigned as the Bangladesh prime minister on Monday. If reports are to be believed, she is exploring options for seeking asylum after her talks with the United Kingdom were unsuccessful.
In an interview with NDTV on Tuesday, Sajeeb Wazeb said, “The reports about her requesting asylum are incorrect. She has not requested asylum anywhere. So the question of the UK or the US not responding yet is not true.”
Joy, who is based in the United States, once again denied the reports while speaking to the German news outlet Deutsche Welle (DW) on Wednesday. “These are all rumours. She has not made a decision on that yet. She is going to stay in Delhi for a little while,” he said.
Hasina fled to India after she resigned as the Bangladesh prime minister. She landed at the Hindon airbase near Delhi following unprecedented anti-government protests in Bangladesh.
In India, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar told Parliament on Monday, “Our understanding is that after a meeting with leaders of security establishments, PM Sheikh Hasina apparently made the decision to resign. At very short notice, she requested approval to come for the moment to India. She arrived yesterday evening in Delhi.”
Later, reports emerged that she had sought asylum in the UK. However, a UK Home Office spokesperson told NDTV, “The UK has a proud record of providing protection for people who need it. However, there is no provision for someone to be allowed to travel to the UK to seek asylum or temporary refuge. Those who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety.”
The Hindu reported on Wednesday that Hasina is discussing options with other countries including the UAE and Saudi Arabia, apart from those where her immediate family resides: the US, the UK, Finland and India.
Bangladesh has been witnessing nationwide protests since June over a special job quota bill that allowed reservations for families of veterans who fought the 1971 liberation war. The protests turned violent last month.
Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin dissolved Parliament on Tuesday and appointed Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus as the head of an interim government.