From India to the UK? Why Bangladesh’s Sheikh Hasina is seeking ‘asylum’ in London

Sheikh Hasina has arrived in India after being forced to resign as Bangladesh’s prime minister on Monday (August 5). She and her sister, Sheikh Rehana, landed at Ghaziabad’s Hindon Airport in a C-130 transport aircraft in the evening.

Hasina will reportedly be travelling to the United Kingdom, where she has sought political asylum. She could spend the night in Delhi before her journey to London.

What is a political asylum? Why does Hasina want to go to London? Let’s take a closer look.

What’s political asylum?

Political asylum, or asylum, is a safeguard by countries to protect people who fear persecution in their homeland.

As per the UK government, individuals have to apply for asylum if they want to stay in the country as a refugee. Those who have fled their country and are unable to go back due to the risk of harm are eligible to apply.

Once asylum is granted, the individual is safe from being deported to their home country.

The UK government had processed 112,000 claims for asylum last year, reported The Guardian.

Hasina in India

Hasina has landed in Delhi before flying to London. She met National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval at the Hindon Air Force base, which is located 30km from Delhi.

As per ThePrint report, she reached out to Delhi as soon as she realised the situation had spiralled out of control.

Bangladesh has been grappling with student protests for over a month over the job quota system. More than 280 people have died in the anti-government demonstrations that began in July.

Hasina’s team contacted Indian authorities for a safe passage into Indian airspace, which was “immediately accepted”, as per ThePrint.

She left her official residence moments before protesters stormed it. Demonstrators in Dhaka erupted in cheer as news of Hasina fleeing the country spread.

It is not yet known how long the former PM will be staying in India.

Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has briefed PM Narendra Modi about the situation in Bangladesh.

ALSO READ: Sheikh Hasina is in India: Why Bangladesh’s embattled leader turned to New Delhi in her moment of crisis

Hasina may go to London

If reports are to be believed, Hasina’s final destination is London.

As per The Hindu, she has requested asylum in the UK. Her sister, who is travelling with her, holds UK citizenship.

The UK has emerged as a destination for Asian rebels and insurgents in exile fighting for a cause, with different governments in the country – be it headed by Labour or Conservative – giving their support, as per an Al Arabiya report.

These refugees are beyond the reach of the governments or rulers in their country until they do not break British laws.

London has offered asylum to other politicians as well including former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s son Tarique Rahman. The heir-apparent has been living in exile in the UK. After his mother was convicted and jailed by Hasina’s government in 2018, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) vice chairman has been heading the country’s largest opposition party from London.

The BNP had boycotted the January elections, which marked Hasina’s return to power for a fourth straight term. The opposition party had called the elections a “sham”.

Hasina’s government was accused of targeting the opposition, activists and civil society. However, she had denied the charges.

Amid speculations that the embattled leader will head to London for asylum, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has said swift action is needed to “ensure democracy prevails” in Bangladesh.

Downing Street’s official spokesperson said that the British PM is “deeply saddened by the violence we’ve seen in Bangladesh in recent weeks”.

“I hope that swift action is taken to ensure that democracy prevails and accelerate the process towards peace and security to people in Bangladesh,” BBC quoted him as saying.

In Whitechapel, an area in the UK capital with a significant Bangladeshi community, several took to the streets to celebrate Hasina’s ouster, waving the South Asian country’s flag.

“Bangladesh has achieved its second independence now. We actually got our independence first in 1971 but autocrat Sheikh Hasina was ruling the country forcibly. She has snatched away our rights. She has killed thousands of children,” Abu Sayem, 50, told Reuters. 

ALSO READ: The rise and fall of Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh’s ‘Iron Lady’

When Nawaz Sharif took refuge in London

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Nawaz Sharif was in London for four years after being convicted over graft charges.

In 2019, the former Pakistan PM left for London for medical treatment while serving a 14-year prison sentence for corruption. This came after Pakistan’s Supreme Court barred him from politics for life in 2017 over the case related to the Panama Papers scandal.

Sharif only returned to Pakistan last October and was widely expected to take over the reins of the economic crisis-ridden country once his party returned to power.

However, he made way for his younger brother Shehbaz Sharif to return as PM in March.

There were speculations that Nawaz’s return was possible because of the blessings of “the establishment”, a term used to refer to Pakistan’s powerful military. However, the military claims it does not interfere in politics.

With inputs from agencies