Bangladesh Crisis LIVE: Parliament dissolved, Hasina’s minister detained at airport

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told an all-party meeting on Tuesday that Bangladeshi leader Sheikh Hasina, who has arrived in India after quitting as prime minister following extraordinary protests in the neighbouring country against her rule, was in shock at the turn of events, sources said.

The government is giving her time to recover, before enquiring about her future plans, Jaishankar said, briefing political leaders in the Parliament House.

The minister said India has spoken to the Bangladesh Army chief to ensure the safety of more than 10,000 Indian students in that country and also taken up the issue of attacks on Hindu minorities, according to a couple of leaders who attended the meeting.

Indian exporters on Tuesday said that the political situation in Bangladesh may lead to short-term shifting of garment orders to India.

However, they added that India has no intention or inclination to exploit this unfortunate situation in its friendly neighbouring country.

On Monday, former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country amid massive public anger over her government’s controversial quota system reserving 30 per cent of jobs for families of veterans who fought the 1971 liberation war. More than 400 people have been killed in the protests.

Mithileshwar Thakur, Secretary General of the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) said that the current situation in Bangladesh is a matter of great concern for all the exporters.

“We wish that the situation stabilizes quickly and normal business resumes. We are a friendly neighbour country and completely empathize with the unfortunate incidents of violent protests that are unfolding in Bangladesh,” he said.

Thakur added that India has no intention or inclination to exploit this unfortunate situation in its friendly neighbouring country.

“The Indian garment industry is making serious efforts to grow RMG exports on its own, based on its merit. However, it is quite likely that in short-term garment orders may shift to India and the Indian apparel industry may be asked to fill the gap caused by this severe disruption,” he said.

Ludhiana-based exporter S C Ralhan said that the political crisis in the neighbouring country will impact timely payments.

He said that normalisation of the situation would help in the smooth movement of goods.

Ralhan said that Indian firms having units in Bangladesh would face the impact.

“There would be stress on timely payments,” Ralhan said.

Bangladesh is a key player in garments in the world and it imports cotton from India. (PTI)

Sheikh Hasina’s sudden resignation and flight from Bangladesh illustrates the fickleness of history. The abiding images of a protester astride the shoulders of Bangabandhu’s statue, hammering away at the face, mark the end of an era in which his daughter Hasina sought to preserve his legacy.

The surreal scenes included protestors storming the Prime Minister’s residence, raiding the larder and dining sumptuously, before making off with a range of goods. From chicken and fish to furniture, nothing was spared as the pillagers streamed out with the booty onto the streets of Dhaka in a festive procession. Some individuals even made off with personal vestments from the prime ministerial wardrobe, resembling in the process the haberdasher of Canterbury Tales as they trudged along the streets.

It seems the world is in turmoil. From violent anti-immigrant protests in the UK to clashes in Bangladesh, there is unrest in several countries around the world. Here are the nations that you better not travel to for the time being

As if things weren’t tumultuous enough in Bangladesh with Sheikh Hasina’s sudden exit, the country’s key police association has now launched a strike amid fears about their safety.

“Until the security of every member of the police is secured, we are declaring a strike,” the Bangladesh Police Service Association (BPSA) said in a statement.

“We beg an apology for what the police force has done to the innocent students,” it added.

It argued its officers had been “forced to open fire”, and that they had been cast as the “villain”.

Air India will operate its scheduled flight from the national capital to Dhaka on Tuesday evening while Vistara’s scheduled services to the Bangladesh capital will be operational from August 7.

The neighbouring country has plunged into uncertainty and the situation is volatile after street protests over job quota forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to quit and flee.

On Tuesday, Air India had cancelled its morning flight to Dhaka.

The airline will operate its evening flights AI237/238 on the Delhi-Dhaka-Delhi sector on Tuesday.

In a statement, the carrier also said that due to the prevailing situation there, a one-time waiver is being offered on rescheduling to passengers having confirmed bookings on any of its flight to and from Dhaka between August 4 and 7. The offer will be applicable for tickets booked on or prior to August 5.

As per normal schedule, the Tata Group-owned airline operates two daily flights from the national capital to Dhaka.

According to an official, Vistara will be operating services as per schedule from Wednesday.

Vistara operates daily flights from Mumbai and three weekly services from Delhi to Dhaka.

Both Vistara and IndiGo had cancelled their Tuesday flights to the Bangladesh capital.

An update from IndiGo on Dhaka flights for Wednesday is awaited.

Normally, IndiGo operates one daily flight from Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai to Dhaka, and two daily services to the Bangladesh capital from Kolkata. (PTI)

A significant reshuffle in the top positions of the Bangladesh Army was announced on Tuesday afternoon. Maj Gen Ziaul Ahsan has been relieved from service, as stated in a press release by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) directorate.

The new appointments are as follows:
Lt Gen Saiful Alam has been assigned to the foreign ministry.
Lt Gen Mujibur Rahman has been appointed as General Officer Commanding (GOC) at the Army Training and Doctrine Command.
Lt Gen Ahammad Tabrej Shams Chowdhury has been designated as Quarter Master General.
Lt Gen Mizanur Rahman Shamim is the new Chief of General Staff.
Lt Gen Mohammad Shahinul Haque will serve as Commandant of the National Defence College (NDC).
Maj Gen ASM Ridwanur Rahman has been appointed as Director General of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC).

European Union diplomats in Bangladesh said Tuesday they were “very concerned” about reports of attacks on minority groups, a day after the prime minister was ousted following mass protests.

EU heads of mission “are very concerned about incoming reports of multiple attacks against places of worship and members of religious, ethnic and other minorities in Bangladesh”, EU ambassador to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley posted on social media platform X. (AFP)

Local reports indicate Dhaka experienced calm Tuesday morning following unrest, with army personnel and students managing traffic at major junctions due to the absence of police. While public transport and commercial activities resumed, concerns remain after fires at police outposts on Monday.

Members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) stand guard outside the state-owned Bangladesh Television as violence erupts after anti-quota protests by students, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, July 19, 2024. REUTERS

Forty-five minutes. That’s all the time now ousted Bangladesh prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, got to pack up and flee the country after resigning. Soon after she fled, a sea of protesters stormed her official residence — the Ganabhaban — and ransacked the premises.

As per reports by Prothom Alo, a Bangladeshi daily, she had wanted to address the nation about her decision, but given the sea of protesters coming her way, authorities told her she had no time, resulting in her and her sister, Rehana, fleeing with a few of their bags.

As tension in Bangladesh escalated after ‘ousted’ Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India and protesters stormed the prime ministerial palace in Dhaka on Monday, the effects of the unrest could also be felt in New York on Tuesday when Khaleda Zia-led Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) supporters entered the Bangladesh consulate and removed the portrait of Hasina’s father and former President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Union Minister of State for Railways and Food processing Ravneet Singh Bittu expressed serious concern on Tuesday over attacks on “Sikh shrines and Hindu temples located in Bangladesh” and urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to take up the issue with the Army authorities or the interim government of Bangladesh.

In a written communication to Jaishankar, Bittu said, “Since the population of Sikhs in Bangladesh is very small and certain anti-India elements were indulging in rampage of religious places, the Sikh community is worried about the safety of Sikh shrines in Bangladesh.” “I, therefore, urge you to take up the issue with the Army authorities/Interim Govt of Bangladesh to protect the historical Sikh shrines viz. Gurdwara Nanak Shahi and Gurdwara Sangat Tola situated in Dhaka along with the Hindu temples,” Bittu said.

“It is relevant to mention here that Guru Nanak Dev ji and Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib had visited Dhaka and these gurudwaras were built in their memories,” he added.

Bittu urged Jaishankar to assure the Sikh and Hindu communities in Bangladesh that the Indian government will take all necessary steps to protect the Sikh shrines and Hindu temples in Bangladesh. (PTI)

Attendance at various government offices in Dhaka on Tuesday remained low amid growing fear and anxiety after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government, local media reports said.

Bangladesh descended into chaos after Prime Minister Hasina resigned and fled the country in a military aircraft while the Army stepped in to fill the power vacuum.

On the first day after the fall of Hasina’s government, a tense atmosphere prevailed at the Secretariat on Tuesday, the Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported.

Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus has agreed to be the chief advisor of the interim government in Bangladesh hours after student protesters proposed his name for the post.

Bangladesh, which is facing its worst political crisis since Independence in 1971, poses “significant concerns” for India’s textile and apparel sector, particularly for companies operating factories in the neighbouring country, the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry said on Tuesday.

The domestic textile industry body believes that any supply disruption in Bangladesh will have an immediate impact on the supply chain, potentially affecting production schedules and delivery timelines of Indian firms.

“The situation in Bangladesh is indeed concerning, and we are closely monitoring the developments. Bangladesh’s growth in the textile sector has been inspiring and has lent strength to the trade flows in the entire subcontinent.

“While we are concerned about the impact on the supply chain and the potential delays and disruptions it might cause, we are hopeful that the situation will improve soon,” Chandrima Chatterjee, Secretary General, Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) said.

According to CITI, Indian companies with manufacturing operations in the country are likely to face challenges in maintaining their production flow, leading to delays and potential shortages in the market. This disruption could affect the availability of products and might force companies to seek alternative manufacturing solutions to mitigate the impact.

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday said India should be extremely careful and watch the situation on its eastern front in Bangladesh with great care in wake of the developments in the neighbouring country.

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister also said that all dictators must remember they will face the “same things as Bangladesh faced”.

“Now the eastern front has opened. We should be extremely careful and we should watch the situation with great care,” Abdullah told reporters here when asked about the situation in Bangladesh after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country.

Bangladesh’s Parliament has been dissolved — a key demand made by protesters. They had given a deadline of 3 pm local time Tuesday for President Mohammed Shahabuddin to act.

The Bangladesh President’s office issued a statement confirming the dissolution of Parliament.

Student protesters have said they would not accept a military-led government. They also demanded a role for Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus in the next government. The protest leaders said Yunus has agreed to be the interim government’s chief adviser.

In a press release Bangabhaban said, “The decision to dissolve the parliament was taken following the president’s discussions with chiefs of three staffs of armed forces, leaders of different political parties, representatives of civil society and leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.”

President Mohammed Shahabuddin today dissolved the 12th parliament formed through the January 7 national election.

In a press release, Bangabhaban said, “The decision to dissolve the parliament was taken following the president’s discussions with chiefs of three staffs of armed forces, leaders of different political parties, representatives of civil society and leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.”

Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) urged the central government on Tuesday to take every possible step for the safety of minorities in Bangladesh amid the ongoing unrest.

During a press conference on Tuesday, VHP International President Alok Kumar said that in Bangladesh, the houses, shops, offices, business establishments of Hindus and women, children and even the centres of their belief, faith and worship such as temples and Gurudwaras are not safe.

Briefing the Rajya Sabha, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the Indian government is in close touch with the nearly 19,000 Indian nationals in Bangladesh. Almost half of them are students.

He said India expects Bangladesh to provide security to the Indian community. He said, “The situation in Bangladesh is still evolving…We are in close touch with the Indian community in that country. There are 19,000 Indian nationals — 9,000 students — in Bangladesh. Many of the students returned in July and we expect the host government will provide security to the others.”

Bangladesh has plunged into a crisis after a month-long youth agitation, backed by banned outfit Jamaat-e-Islami and Opposition parties, toppled Sheikh Hasina’s government. After her efforts to secure the support of the Army failed and the Army chief reportedly gave her 45 minutes to resign, she quit the post and fled the country.

Jaishankar told Parliament that India received a request for flight clearance at a short notice for giving permission for Hasina’s landing in the country. Her aircraft landed at the IAF base in Hindon near Delhi.

An alert has been sounded in many parts of Bihar in the wake of the unrest in neighbouring Bangladesh, a top police official said on Tuesday.

According to Additional Director of Police (Headquarters), J S Gangwar, the alert was issued in the districts situated close to Bangladesh.

“An alert has been sounded in all such districts. The police have been instructed to keep vigil in close coordination with central paramilitary forces,” he told PTI.

Although no Bihar district is situated along the border with Bangladesh, the state shares a long, porous boundary with Nepal, which has been often used by infiltrators from other countries to sneak into the Indian territory.

India-Bangladesh trade, which was disrupted in the wake of the unrest in the neighbouring country and the resignation of embattled prime minister Sheikh Hasina, remained stalled on Tuesday, traders said.

West Bengal Exporters Coordination Committee secretary Ujjal Saha said trade through land ports in the state has been halted due to “non-clearance of goods by Bangladesh customs, resulting in hundreds of trucks being lined up in parking lots”.

Trade between the two countries through land ports at Petrapole, Gojadanga, Mahadipur, and Fulbari in West Bengal has been affected, while some passenger movement has been reported but turnout remains low, sources said.

Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addressed the present Bangladesh problem. The session is presided over by Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar.

He stated that the relationahip between India-Bangladesh has been very close for decades. He added that concerns on violence were shared across the political spectrum.

He cites the attack on public buildings by demonstrators as an example of vandalism and states that India has encouraged all parties concerned to exercise moderation.

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres continues to follow developments in Bangladesh closely and deplored the loss of lives in the country during the protests.

He urged calm and restraint by all sides and emphasised the importance of a peaceful, orderly and democratic transition.

“The Secretary-General deplores the further loss of life during protests in Bangladesh over the weekend. He continues to closely follow developments in the country, including the Chief of Army Staff’s announcement regarding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and plans for the formation of an Interim Government,” a statement from his office said.

Bangladesh’s protesting students leaders demanded on Tuesday that parliament be dissolved and warned of a “strict programme” if their deadline was not met, a day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country.

Nahid Islam, one of the key organisers of the student movement against Hasina, said in a video on Facebook with three other leaders that parliament should be dissolved by 3 p.m. (0900 GMT) on Tuesday and asked “revolutionary students to be ready” if that did not happen.

Bangladesh’s army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman was due to meet student leaders at 0600 GMT to discuss the formation of an interim government that is expected to hold elections soon after it takes over. Zaman had announced Hasina’s resignation on Monday.

India is a well diversified exporter and a blip in its exports to Bangladesh is unlikely to have any meaningful impact on India’s overall trade position for the full year, S&P Global Ratings said on Tuesday.

Bangladesh is facing its worst political crisis since independence in 1971, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigning amid massive anti-government protests.

Bangladesh Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman on Monday announced that an interim government would be taking over the responsibilities.

The Bahujan Samaj Party on Tuesday said it stands with the Centre on its decision pertaining to the prevailing situation in Bangladesh.

In a post on X in Hindi, BSP chief Mayawati said, “In view of the rapidly changing political situation in the neighbouring country Bangladesh, today’s all-party meeting is very important, in which the decision of all parties to stand by the decisions of the government is considered appropriate and necessary”.

“BSP is also with the decisions of the Central Government in this matter,” the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said. Bangladesh plunged into uncertainty after extraordinary street protests over job quota forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to quit and flee.

Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, the pioneer of the global microcredit movement who could shepherd Bangladesh’s new interim government, was an arch foe of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who has resigned and fled the country.

Known as the “banker to the poor”, Yunus and the Grameen Bank he founded won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for helping lift millions from poverty by providing tiny loans of sums less than $100 to the rural poor who are too impoverished to gain attention from traditional banks.

Their lending model has since inspired similar projects around the world, including developed countries like the United States where Yunus started a separate non-profit Grameen America.

As his success grew, Yunus, now 84, flirted briefly with a political career, attempting to form his own party in 2007. But his ambitions were widely viewed as having sparked the ire of Hasina, who accused him of “sucking blood from the poor”.

Critics in Bangladesh and other countries, including neighbouring India, have also said microlenders charge excessive rates and make money out of the poor. But Yunus said the rates were far lower than local interest rates in developing countries or the 300% or more that loan sharks sometimes demand.

The International Monetary Fund said it was “fully committed to Bangladesh and its people” after protests ousted the prime minister.

The Fund, which approved a $4.7 billion loan programme with the country in January 2023, said it was “deeply saddened by loss of lives and injuries,” but would continue to “support efforts to ensure economic stability and deliver inclusive growth”.

Bangladesh was awaiting an interim government on Tuesday, a day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country following student-led protests that left hundreds dead.

Bangladesh’s protesting student leaders demanded on Tuesday that parliament be dissolved and warned a “strict programme” would be launched if their deadline is not met, a day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country, Reuters reported.

The student leaders said in a video on Facebook that parliament should be dissolved by 3 p.m. (0900 GMT) on Tuesday and asked “revolutionary students to be ready” if that did not happen.

Congress leader and Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor has said that India doesn’t want an “unstable or an unfriendly neighbour” and has “understandable concerns” about the developing situation in Bangladesh. He also hinted at the possibility of an anti-India alignment of the Jamaat-e-Islami [Bangladesh’s Islamist political party] and vested interests of China and Pakistan.

Speaking to news agency ANI he said, “As far as India is concerned, the first and most important signal we need to send to the people of Bangladesh is that we stand with them.”

He said, “There are some understandable concerns in India about the increasing influence of the Jamaat-e-Islami, which has taken a very hostile attitude to India in the past, and possible meddling by China and Pakistan.”

“India must reassure everybody that we are not an unfriendly power and we have no desire to dominate or control what’s happening in Bangladesh. We would like to be helpful. That would be the kind of message that I believe we should convey both publicly and privately,” he said.

A tense atmosphere prevailed at the main government office, the Secretariat, in Dhaka on Tuesday, a day after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government, Dhaka Tribune reported. Reports said traffic police were largely absent from duty and student-protesters guarded traffic signals even as vehicular movement was reported low.

Attendance in the ministry offices was thin, and ministers and Members of Parliament were understandably absent. Fear and anxiety were palpable among those who did come to work.

Tension prevails as violence continued through Monday night with protesters setting the central office of Hasina’s Awami League on Dhaka’s Bangabandhu Avenue on fire. Homes and properties of Awami League leaders were vandalised and looted after the fall of the Hasina government.

The smell of the fire from the Awami League office in the morning could be sensed from the Secretariat, increasing the fear among the officers and employees, the paper reported.

Following the fall of the Hasina government, the Army’s Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR) announced a curfew from midnight on Monday until 6 am on Tuesday.

All government, semi-government, autonomous, semi-autonomous, private institutions, factories, schools, colleges, madrasas, and universities reopened on Tuesday morning.

Previously, the Hasina government’s Ministry of Public Administration had declared a three-day general holiday starting Monday. But despite the cancellation of the previous order the Secretariat remained tense and attendance low..

Banners and festoons related to the mournful month of August were removed, and pictures of Sheikh Hasina were taken down from various offices, the paper reported. However, the nameplates of ministers and state ministers were untouched.

Sheikh Hasina, who resigned from the post of Bangladesh Prime Minister and fled Dhaka on Monday, was expected to fly out to the UK after a brief stopover in India, but her stay in New Delhi is likely to be longer as her visa approval from the British authorities is pending.

Bangladesh’s army chief will meet student protest leaders on Tuesday as the country awaits the formation of a new government a day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled following a violent uprising against her.

Traffic was lighter than usual in the usually chaotic streets of Dhaka and schools reopened with thin attendance after closing down in mid-July as protests against quotas in government jobs spiralled. About 300 people were killed and thousands injured in violence that ripped through the country.

The Border Security Force (BSF) has beefed up security and deployed additional personnel along the international border with Bangladesh in India’s Northeastern state of Tripura amid turmoil in the neighbouring country following the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday.

Tripura shares an 856-kilometre-long border with Bangladesh. A senior BSF official, who wished to remain anonymous, told News18 that the BSF has tightened security measures along the border and issued alerts to all its personnel.

“We are closely monitoring the situation along the border. Given the semi-porous nature of our boundary and the presence of unfenced areas, we have enhanced security. We received an alert from the Centre in light of the current developments in Bangladesh,” the official said.

He said additional forces were deployed on Tuesday, with senior commanders present in the border regions to supervise security operations. “We have reinforced troops along the border, particularly in areas prone to smuggling and infiltration. Surveillance has been intensified. Due to the ongoing situation in Bangladesh, the BSF is maintaining vigilant observation and close coordination with the Border Guards of Bangladesh at multiple levels,” the official said.

Amidst the political turmoil in Bangladesh, following the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement has put forward Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus as their choice for the head of the interim government.

The student leaders, who have been at the forefront of a movement initially targetting job quota reforms, declared their preference for Yunus in a video early Tuesday morning.

Turmoil in Bangladesh does not seem to cease even with former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s exit from the country on Monday. Several miscreants have now stormed into a jail, setting over 500 inmates free.

A mob bearing sticks and other local weaponry rushed into the Sherpur District Jail during the curfew period on Monday, breaking the main doors and setting the facility on fire.