Is Sheikh Hasina the ousted Bangladeshi PM staying in India for an extended period. This question is now being asked as UK is taking its own sweet time in deciding whether to grant asylum to Ms Hasina or not. Her sister Sheikh Rehana who came to India with her is a UK citizen. Sheikh Hasina’s daughter Saima Wazed is the Regional Director for South-East Asia at the World Health Organisation (WHO) and is based in New Delhi. Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy is based in the US.
Sheikh Hasina with sister
The helicopter from which she came to India has already left for Bangladesh. This gives credence to the speculation that Hasina might stay in India for a bit longer than originally anticipated.
If UK refuses asylum request of the ousted Bangladeshi PM then it is likely that she will seek political asylum in India and considering India’s warm ties with her, the request would be sympathetically considered.
This is not the first time though that India has come to Ms Hasina’s help. On August 15, 1975, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and many members of his family were killed in a military coup. Sheikh Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana survived the massacre because they were in West Germany at the time. After the tragic event, they were barred from returning to Bangladesh and lived in exile. They first went to the United Kingdom and later moved to India, where they were granted political asylum.
In India, Sheikh Hasina stayed until 1981, a period of six years, before returning to Bangladesh.
