External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar chaired over an all-party meeting on Tuesday on the situation in violence-stricken Bangladesh, during which he stated that India is closely monitoring developments in the neighboring country.
EAM Jaishankar informed all political parties regarding the safety of Indian nationals living there and the efforts taken by the Union government.
“Briefed an All-Party meeting in Parliament today about the ongoing developments in Bangladesh. Appreciate the unanimous support and understanding that was extended,” the EAM said in a post on social media platform X.
According to sources, the government reported that over 20,000 Indians reside in Bangladesh, the most of them are students, with approximately 8,000 returning to their motherland in response to an advise issued by India.
The EAM also stated that the government is in contact with the Bangladesh Army, and that the situation there is continuously changing; as changes occur, the government will provide updates.
Furthermore, sources indicate that nothing has been resolved on former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s future plans, and it has been suggested that she be given some time to decide where she wishes to go.
Along with EAM Jaishankar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda, and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju attended the meeting.
Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, T. R. Balu of the DMK, SP leader Ram Gopal Yadav, TMC leader Sudip Bandopadhyay, BJD leader Sasmit Patra, and other Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha floor leaders attended the meeting.
On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened a Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting at his official residence, where he was briefed on the ongoing crisis in the neighboring country.
On Monday, Hasina landed at the Hindon Air Base in Ghaziabad, hours after resigning as the country’s Prime Minister and leaving Dhaka en route to Delhi.
Hasina landed in India in a Bangladesh Air Force military transport plane as thousands of protesters attacked and vandalised the Prime Minister’s official house in Dhaka, ‘Ganabhaban’.
According to reports, over 100 people were murdered and over 1,000 were injured in skirmishes between police and demonstrators on Sunday.
The student-led non-cooperation movement has put tremendous pressure on Hasina’s government in recent weeks.
The students were protesting a 30% reservation in government jobs for relatives of freedom fighters who won Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan in a bloody civil war in 1971, during which, according to Dhaka officials, three million people were killed in a genocide by Pakistani troops and supporters.
Source:IANS