New Delhi: Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India after lakhs of anti-government protesters stormed her Dhaka residence on 5 August, has been living in a safe house in New Delhi’s Lutyens Bungalow Zone, arranged for her by the Government of India, for over two months, ThePrint has learnt.
In keeping with her status, it is a full-sized Lutyens’ bungalow of the kind allotted to ministers, senior MPs and top officials. To protect her privacy and security, ThePrint has chosen not to disclose her exact address or street details.
With proper protocol for security, Hasina takes occasional walks at the Lodhi Garden, sources confirmed to ThePrint.
“She has a strong security detail, with personnel guarding her round the clock but in plain clothes. As a dignitary, she is receiving this level of protection,” a source confirmed. “She has been living in the area for more than two months now. All arrangements for her stay were made here.”
According to sources, Hasina and a few people close to her flew into the Hindon airbase aboard a Bangladesh Air Force aircraft late on 5 August, hours after she resigned following weeks of deadly anti-government protests that claimed over 400 lives. However, she left the airbase within two days. On the day of her arrival, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and senior military officials had met her at the airbase.
“She could not have stayed at the airbase for too long. The arrangements there were not adequate. So, in just a few days, she was moved out to a safe place and then this arrangement for a house was done in the safe and secured area of Lutyens’ Delhi,” a second source said.
This is a high security area with houses of many former and serving Members of Parliament.
When asked if she moves out of the house often, the source said, “The core security group is informed when there is a need and arrangements are made accordingly.”
Although the government of India has not formally disclosed Sheikh Hasina’s location to the Bangladesh government, External affairs minister S. Jaishankar had told Parliament in August that Hasina had sought approval to come to India “for the moment”.
ThePrint reached the Ministry of External Affairs via calls and messages. This report will be updated if and when a response is received.
Hasina was accompanied by her sister Sheikh Rehana, a British citizen whose daughter Tulip Siddiq is a Labour Party leader in the UK, on her flight to India. It is, however, unclear if she is staying at the house with her sister.
Hasina’s daughter, Saima Wazed, who is the Regional Director of the South-East Asia Region at the World Health Organisation’s Delhi Headquarters, also stays in Delhi. She is the first Bangladeshi to hold this position.
Last week, the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), established by Hasina in 2010, issued arrest warrants against her, Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader, and 44 others in connection with alleged crimes “against humanity” committed during the students’ protests in July and August, which led to her ouster.
The tribunal, chaired by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumdar, issued the orders following two petitions filed by the prosecution seeking the arrest of Ms. Hasina and other key political figures.
According to media reports, more than 60 complaints of crimes against humanity and genocide have been filed against Hasina and other senior Awami League leaders with the ICT’s investigation. The tribunal has also directed the authorities to arrest the 46 individuals and present them before the court by 18 November.
Sheikh Hasina’s stay in India after fleeing Dhaka has surfaced as a sore point in the aftermath of political turmoil in Bangladesh.
Speaking to ThePrint in Dhaka after Hasina’s ouster, residents, including students and teachers, said that they knew she would flee to India as the country was “her only friend”.
What was hurtful, they said, was that India gave her shelter “knowing what she did to her people”.
“It makes us think that India is complicit. She tortured students, rigged elections, got all opposition leaders arrested and India was the first to congratulate her. Why?” Imam-ul-Haq, a Dhaka University student had asked.
“India has always supported her on international platforms. She was a dictator who crushed students, throttled democracy but still India supported her. The friendship with India is what emboldened her. When she fled, we knew she would rush to her friend,” he had said.
Haq also complained that the deposed Awami League leader only thought of India and Indians and ignored Bangladeshis in the process. “Hasina maintained her friendship with India and was always working to please them because she wanted to remain in power. Now she has got shelter only because of this friendship,” he had said.
source : theprint