Bangladesh Protests: President Meets Students' Movement Leaders; Major Changes In Army Top Ranks

• President Shahabuddin dissolved the Parliament in Bangladesh on Tuesday.

• Shahabuddin met with 13 students' movement leaders to discuss the matters regarding formation of an interim government.

• Sheikh Hasina's plans to move to London faced a roadblock after UK government refused to provide security to the ex-PM.

• Speaking on the unrest in Bangladesh in the Lok Sabha, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the government is in close and continuous touch with the Indian community in Bangladesh through our diplomatic missions.

• Jaishankar also shared that Hasina requested for refuge in India on Monday at a very short notice.

• Dhaka Court granted bail to 2,350 people in sabotage cases belonging to opposition parties, activists and students.

• Major changes have been announced the in the top ranks of Bangladesh Army.

Hello, readers! Welcome to Outlook India's live coverage of the political unrest and tensions in the nation's neighbouring country of Bangladesh.

So far, Sheikh Hasina has stepped down as the Bangladesh PM, reaching India and moving to a safe house here. She is expected to work towards seeking asylum in the UK.

Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin announced the dissolution of the Parliament amid preparations for an interim government in the country. READ | Bangladesh Protests Top Points

Former Prime Minister and chief of opposition party BNP, Khaleda Zia, is set to be released from jail after the exit of her rival Sheikh Hasina as the Bangladesh PM.

Zia was sent to jail in 2018 after she was sentenced to prison for 17 years in a graft case. She is currently hospitalised. | READ MORE

The United States, the UN and other countries are closely monitoring the situation in Bangladesh.

The Biden administration has urged Bangladesh to form an interim government in accordance with democratic principles, rule of law and the will of the Bangladeshi people.

"We want to see the Bangladeshi people decide the future of the Bangladeshi government," State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.

Miller told the press conference here the United States is monitoring the situation carefully and calls for an end to violence and fixing accountability for the deaths that have occurred over the past few weeks.

Nobel laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus will be the chief advisor of the interim government of Bangladesh, announced the coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.

Daily Star newspaper reported that Nahid Islam, one of the key coordinators of the movement, said that Prof Yunus has agreed to take on this crucial responsibility at the call of the student community to save the country.

"We took 24 hours to announce a framework for the interim government. However, considering the emergency situation, we are announcing it now," Nahid said.

"We have decided that the interim government would be formed in which internationally renowned Nobel Laureate Dr Mohammad Yunus, who has wide acceptability, would be the chief adviser," said Nahid, flanked by two other coordinators.

Bangladesh has been grappling with violence and widespread unrest since July after thousands of students took to the streets to demand reform in the quota system. However, these protests, which started peacefully, soon turned into a pressing challenge for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the ruling Awami League party.

A month after deadly unrest in the country allegedly killed over 300 people, anti-government protests fueled up overnight as people marched to the streets seeking justice for those who were killed and wrongfully detained. | Read More Here

Curtains came down on Sheikh Hasina's tenure as the Prime Minister of neighbouring Bangladesh. On Monday, August 5, Hasina resigned as the PM and fled the country amid massive protests against her government that claimed around 100 lives over the last two days.

The 76-year-old Hasina is the daughter of Bangladesh founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Hasina has been in power in the strategically important Indian neighbouring country since 2009.

She won the Bangladesh General Election a fourth consecutive time just a few months ago this January. This was her fifth term overall as the PM of Bangladesh after being elected in 1996 for the first time.

The latest development of Sheikh Hasina's resignation as the Bangladeshi PM comes at the heels of the Bangladesh Supreme Court’s July 22 decision to scrap most of the job quotas, which have been at the centre of the storm in the students-led protests in the neighbouring country. The official death toll as of today, stands at 300, with several injured in the clashes between the protestors and the state forces. | READ MORE HERE

The Indian government has called for an all-party meeting at 10 am to discuss the unrest in Bangladesh.

India's Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Parliament House on Monday and discussed the development in Bangladesh, Congress sources said.

Sheikh Hasina resigned as Bangladesh prime minister and an interim government took over on Monday in a dramatic development amid massive anti-government protests that claimed more than 100 lives in the last two days.

"Gandhi met Jaishankar on the sidelines in the Lok Sabha, Parliament House complex, and discussed the recent developments in Bangladesh," a Congress source cited by news agency PTI said.

Leader of Opposition in both Houses in India, Rahul Gandhi (Lok Sabha) and Mallikarjun Kharge (Rajya Sabha) will be attend the all-party meeting on the Bangladesh issue.

The Indian government has called an all-party meeting on Tuesday on the Bangladesh issue, sources said. The meeting will be held at Parliament House at around 10 am, they added.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is expected to brief various party leaders on the developments in the neighbouring country.

The C-130J transport aircraft of the Bangladesh Air Force in which Sheikh Hasina landed at the Hindon air base near Delhi took off again around 9 AM today and is moving towards its next destination, sources cited by news agency ANI said, adding that "Indian security agencies are monitoring it closely".

An all-party meeting is underway in Indian Parliament on the issue of Bangladesh. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar is briefing the members of different political parties.

Sheikh Hasina flew to India after resigning as Bangladesh PM on Monday amid unrest in her country. The Bangladesh Air Force aircraft carrying her landed at Hindon Air Base of Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad, near Delhi, post which she was taken to a "safe place".

The Bangladesh Air Force aircraft reportedly took off again today from Hindon Air Base for its "next destination".

At least eight people were killed and 84 others were wounded on Monday after unidentified arsonists set fire to a residential hotel in Bangladesh's Jessore, the Dhaka Tribune reported.

Shahin Chakladar, general secretary of Jashore district Awami League, owned the hotel targeted by arsonists, the report said, adding that Deputy Commissioner Abrarul Islam confirmed the news of the arson attack.

Two of the deceased were identified as Sejan Hossain (19) and Chayan (20). Harun-or-Rashid, a staffer at Jashore General Hospital, said that at least 84 people were undergoing treatment there, the majority of whom are students.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi along with other leader from other parties attended the all-party meeting called by the Central government.

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is not aboard the Bangladesh Air Force C-130J transport aircraft which took off from the Hindon air base around 9 am. The C-130J transport aircraft is flying with 7 military personnel in it towards its base in Bangladesh, news agency ANI reported quoting sources.

People from Bangladesh arrived in India for their work after crossing the Petrapole-Benapole border in North 24 Parganas district.

Heavy police force has been deployed at the border.

Bangladeshi protestors reportedly stormed the nation's consulate in New York, taking down the portrait of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Sheikh Hasina's father, by force. | VISUALS

Air India cancelled morning flight to Dhaka from Delhi on Tuesday amid heavy anti-government protests in Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, IndiGo and Vistara have cancelled all their flights to the Bangladesh capital on Tuesday, officials said.

Bangladeshi local media has reported that over 100 people have been killed in the violence across Bangladesh as chaos erupted after Sheikh Hasina's resignation as the Prime Minister and fled the country on Monday.

Dhaka Tribune reported that 135 people have been killed in the violence amid the unrest in the nation on Monday.

The Bangladesh Air Force C-130J transport aircraft, which carried Sheikh Hasina to India on Monday, landed back at a Bangladeshi air base on Tuesday with seven military personnel after flying over from India. The aircraft was monitored all along its flight path over India by security agencies, Defence sources cited by news agency ANI said.

The United States on Tuesday recommended its citizens not to travel to Bangladesh, witnessing civil unrest, crime, and terrorism following the resignation and fleeing of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

Elevating its travel advisory to the highest ‘Level 4: Do Not Travel’ category, the US State Department has also recommended the departure of non-emergency US government employees and family members.

The Eastern Railway said services of the Kolkata-Dhaka-Kolkata Maitree Express will remain cancelled on Wednesday due to the ongoing turmoil in Bangladesh.

The neighbouring country plunged into uncertainty after protests led to the resignation of the country's prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, on Monday.

Citing a message from Bangladesh Railways, the ER said on Tuesday the services of Maitree Express, which has not been operational since July 19, will not resume services on Wednesday.

The operations of bi-weekly Kolkata-Khulna-Kolkata Bandhan Express have also remained suspended since July 21.

Amid the rising unrest in Bangladesh, the trade between India and its neighbouring nation remain stalled on Tuesday as well.

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, news agency PTI reported citing sources.

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's travel plans are at a pause for now due to some "uncertainities" and is likely to stay in India for the next couple of days, news agency PTI reported citing people familiar with the matter.

She was set to travel to London from India but is now contemplating other options after the British government indicated she may not get legal protection in the UK against any possible investigation, they said.

Speaking on the unrest in Bangladesh in the Lok Sabha, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, "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."

"We are also monitoring the situation with regard to the status of minorities. There are reports of initiatives by various groups and organisations to ensure their protection and well-being. Naturally, we will remain deeply concerned till law and order is restored," he added.

Jaishankar noted that the Indian border forces have been instructed to remain on high alert in view of this situation.

After resigning as PM Sheikh Hasina left the country on Monday and took refuge in India temporarily as she planned to go to London in United Kingdom.

She decided to travel to London as her sister Rehana's daughter Tulip Siddiq is a member of the British Parliament. Tulip is economic secretary to the Treasury and Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate.

However, the British government indicated she might not get legal protection in the UK.

Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin dissolved the parliament on Tuesday which was a key demand of student protesters.

Shiplu Zaman, press secretary of President Mohammed Shahabuddin announced in a statement, "The president has dissolved parliament."

Bangladesh's key police group announced that its members would go on strike on Tuesday.

The Bangladesh Police Association officially stated, "Until the security of every member of the police is secured, we are declaring a strike."

Protesters broke into the Bangladesh consulate in New York and removed a portrait of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Videos are circulating on social media that showed them entering the building and taking down the picture of Bangladesh’s founder.

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk has called for "transparent and peaceful" transition of power in Bangladesh amid ongoing crisis.

According AFP, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party sources have confirmed that former PM Khaleda Zia who was in jail has been freed.

President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Monday ordered the release of Zia hours after her rival Sheikh Hasina resigned as PM and left the country.

The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Tuesday urged the government to take "every possible" step to ensure the safety of Hindus, Sikhs and other minorities in Bangladesh, claiming that "fundamentalists" are targeting them in several districts of the neighbouring country.

Addressing a press conference, VHP president Alok Kumar called for strict security vigil on the Indo-Bangladesh border, saying that attempts could be made to "orchestrate infiltration" into the Indian territory taking advantage of the prevailing situation in the neighbouring country.

At least 24 people, including an Indonesian national, were burnt alive by a mob in Bangladesh at a starred hotel owned by a leader of Awami League party after its leader Sheikh Hasina resigned as prime minister and fled the country, local journalists and hospital sources said on Tuesday.

The victims, mostly boarders, were burnt alive late on Monday night as the mob set afire Zabir International Hotel owned by district Awami League general secretary Shahin Chakkladar in Joshor district.

Attendance at various government offices in Dhaka on Tuesday remained low on the first day of opening after curfew was lifted on Monday.

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.

Attendance in the ministry offices was significantly low, and ministers and Members of Parliament were notably absent. Those who did come to work were filled with fear and anxiety, the paper said.

The Students Against Discrimination group earlier set a deadline for dissolving the 12th parliament which was formed after the January 7 elections installing Hasina as the premier for the fourth straight term.

In a video posted on social media early Tuesday, Nahid Islam, one of the key coordinators of the movement, proposed Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus as the head of interim government.

He said they have already talked with 84-year-old Yunus, who has agreed to take the responsibility to save Bangladesh.

"No government other than the one proposed by the students will be accepted. As we have said, no military government, or one backed by the military, or a government of fascists, will be accepted," said Nahid, flanked by two other coordinators.

Visuals of the aftermath of looting and arson at Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre in Dhaka has surfaced. Violent unrest erupted in the national capital yesterday after Sheikh Hasina resigned as PM.

The protesters went on a rampage and vandalised PM's official residence 'Ganabhaban', Bangabandhu Meuseum along with IGCC in Dhaka.

BJP MP Kangana Ranaut on Tuesday claimed the developments in Bangladesh characterised all Islamic republics, where there are always attempts to "annihilate" other religions.

The actor-politician made the remarks when she was asked by reporters to comment on the situation in the neighbouring country, a day after Sheikh Hasina resigned as Bangladesh prime minister and fled to India.

Ranaut said such situations develop in all Islamic republics at some point or other. She then indirectly referred to anti-immigrant protests in Britain, claiming that Christians were being attacked in the streets there.

The BSF held meetings on Tuesday with state government officials and villagers in border areas of West Bengal to ramp up security following ongoing unrest in Bangladesh.

BSF Director General (Acting) Daljit Singh Chawdhary and other senior commanders, who are presently touring the bordering areas of the state to review the security situation, visited the Petrapole border, located in Bongaon in North 24 Parganas district.

South Asia's largest land port is in Petrapole which is key to facilitate trade between India and Bangladesh.

Lt Gen Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon (Retd) speaking on Bangladesh crisis and its possible impact on India said, "The situation in Bangladesh... what happened on August 5 when an elected PM had to flee her country; technically she resigned and came to India in a military helicopter. This is not a god sign for democracies across the world. Mobocracy against an elected representative... India itself is a very big democracy... maybe we have to learn something from this."

Air India in a post on X, wrote, "Air India will operate its evening flights AI237/238 on the Delhi-Dhaka-Delhi sector on 6 August 2024. In addition, due to the prevailing situation in Dhaka, Air India is offering a one-time waiver on rescheduling to customers, with confirmed bookings on any Air India flight to and from Dhaka between 4th and 7th August 2024, if they desire to do so. The tickets would have to be booked on or prior to 5th August. We would like to reiterate that at Air India, the safety of our customers and crew remains top priority. For more information, please connect with our Contact Centre at 011 69329333 , 011 69329999 or visit our website https://airindia.com"

A student from Bangladesh studying at the Banaras Hindu University, Antur Ghosh told ANI, "I am not able to contact my family as the network connection is down. I am really worried about my family...We are facing no problem in the campus but am worried about my family"

Another student from Bangladesh, Vidyut said, "...Violence is spreading very rapidly...I am not able to contact my family as there is no network since the protests started...I am very worried about my family...I am thankful to the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) for supporting us..."

Inter-Services Public Relations Department of Bangladesh Army on Tuesday carried out a major reshuffle in the top positions.

Dhaka Tribune quoted a statement from their press release noting that that Maj Gen Ziaul Ahsan who was serving as the director general of the National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC) has been relieved.

• Maj Gen Ziaul Ahsan was removed and in his place Major General ASM Ridwanur Rahman was appointed as Director General of National Telecommunication Monitoring Centre (NTMC).

• Lieutenant General Md Saiful Alam has been assigned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

• Lieutenant General Md Mojibur Rahman has been appointed GOC Army Training and Doctrine Command

• Lieutenant General Ahmad Tabrez Shams Chowdhury has been appointed as Quartermaster General of the Army

• Lieutenant General Mizanur Shamim has been appointed as the Chief of General Staff of the Army

• Lieutenant General Mohammad Shaheenul Haque as Commandant NDC

Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Tuesday met with the key coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement at the Bangabhaban to discuss the current situation and the shape of the interim government, media reports said.

Citing one of the coordinators, Bengali language daily Prothom Alo reported that the meeting started on Tuesday evening.

"A group of 13 members of the anti-discrimination student movement is holding a meeting with the President and the three armed forces chiefs at Bangabhaban regarding the current situation and the shape of the interim government," the paper said.

President Shahabuddin earlier in the day dissolved the parliament to make way for the formation of an interim administration.

Officials said a full-fledged interim government is expected to be announced later Tuesday.

In a video posted on social media early Tuesday, Nahid Islam, one of the key coordinators of the movement who is also present in the meeting with the president, proposed Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus as the head of interim government.

He said they have already talked with 84-year-old Yunus, who has agreed to take the responsibility to save Bangladesh.

Yunus is currently out of the country but welcomed the ouster of Hasina’s regime, describing the development as the “second liberation" of the country.

He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his anti-poverty campaign through the Grameen Bank, a mode; which was replicated across continents.

There is a mixture of happiness at the downfall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Bangladeshi government and concern for the safety of their loved ones among the country's diaspora in the UK on Tuesday, a day after the longtime prime minister resigned and fled the country.

Student groups across some UK universities had been organising protests for some days now in solidarity with the student-led protests in Bangladesh against a controversial job quota scheme, which turned into violent anti-government agitation.

China on Tuesday reacted to the unfolding crisis in Bangladesh leading to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ouster, saying it is "closely" following the situation in the violence-hit country.

"China is closely following the developments in Bangladesh," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in response to media queries.

"As a friendly neighbour and comprehensive strategic cooperative partner of Bangladesh, China sincerely hopes that social stability will be restored soon in the country,” the ministry said.

Senior RSS leader Bhaiyyaji Joshi on Tuesday said the organisation "is requesting the government" to ensure safety of the Hindus in neighbouring Bangladesh which is in the midst of political turmoil.

There have been reports about the minority Hindu community being targeted, said Joshi, a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Executive of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and its former general secretary.

Asked about the situation of the Hindus in Bangladesh, Joshi said, "Bangladesh is a different country. There are limitations as to what voluntary organisations can do from here. But we are requesting the (Indian) government to ensure safety of the Hindus over there. We are confident that the government will take steps towards it."

Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina's plan to travel to London has hit a roadblock following the UK's hesitation to provide her refuge and she is unlikely to move out of India for the next couple of days, people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday.

Hasina is now known to be considering several options including the United Arab Emirates, Belarus, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Finland.

Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Tuesday expressed concern over the plight of Sheikh Hasina and said if she had released former premier Khaleda Zia from jail long ago, she would still be Bangladesh's Prime Minister.

"While I do not want to comment on the internal politics of Bangladesh which is a friendly country, I would like to make a note. Although she has left her post, we must remember that she lent our country USD 200 million at the most difficult moment of our country," Wickremesinghe said at an event in Colombo.

"I think it’s only fair to say some good words about a person who’s really down at the moment. I also welcome the fact that Khaleda Zia has been released from jail. If Sheikh Hasina had done it long ago, she would have still been Prime Minister,” he added.

“We wish that normalcy would return to Bangladesh soon. There may be short-term problems. We in Sri Lanka faced a similar situation. Sri Lanka is among the big investors in Bangladesh, we have helped them create jobs," he added.

According to Dhaka Tribune, Director General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) Director Admin Tamzid on Tuesday said that they will share an update on the hostages in captivity in the facility colloquially known as "Aynaghor" Wednesday morning.

The 'Aynaghor' was used to keep political prisoners. The kin of these prisoners have been waiting for a word from te DGFI since Tuesday morning.

Sanjida Islam Tulee, co-founder of Mayek Dak reportedly said, "We have learned from recently released ex-army officers Brigadier General Abdullahil Aman Azmi and Mir Ahmad Bin Quasem that there are many others in that 'Aynaghor'. We went to the DGFI office to find out who is detained there and to talk about the issue that the prisoners should be released together instead of being released separately."

Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court granted bail to 2,350 people arrested in cases filed with different police stations in the capital on charges of sabotage centring on the quota reform movement.

The accused include leaders and activists of BNP, Jamaat, Shibir and its front organizations, opposition leaders and activists and students.

- Dhaka Tribune

Bangladesh's former foreign minister Hassan Mahmud and ex-state minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak were detained on Tuesday at the Dhaka airport while attempting to flee the country, a day after prime minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country following deadly protests against her government.

Mahmud went to Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to "catch a flight en route to Delhi," an Airport Aviation Security (AVSEC) official was quoted as saying by the Dhaka Tribune newspaper.

He was detained at the airport while attempting to flee Bangladesh, the official added.

Mahmud served as the foreign minister in the deposed Hasina government.