An alert was issued along the Indian borders adjacent to Bangladesh on Monday following the departure of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from the country amid a military coup. The army is now overseeing the interim government. Acting BSF Director-General Daljit Singh Chawdhary, along with senior officials, arrived in Kolkata to assess the security of the India-Bangladesh border in light of the ongoing situation in Bangladesh, according to officials. The BSF has maintained a heightened state of alert across the entire border for the last 24 hours and has bolstered its troop presence there.
Zee News Television sources said that Sheikh Hasina has arrived in Agartala, capital of the Indian state of Tripura on Bangladesh border, although official confirmation is pending. Hasina likely to go to London via India, sources said to Zee News.
Subsequent to the confirmation of the military coup by Bangladesh’s army chief Waker-Uz-Zaman during a press conference, where he also declared the establishment of an interim government to reinstate law and order, he urged the populace to maintain confidence in the military and remain calm.
Local media outlets reported that Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina departed Dhaka aboard a military helicopter amidst the country’s escalating violence on MondaThe prime minister’s military helicopter took off from Bangabhaban, the official residence of the Bangladesh president, with her onboard at 2:30 PM local time.
Sheikh Hasina, accompanied by her younger sister Sheikh Rehana, reportedly left for West Bengal, India, by helicopter, as reported by Prothom Alo, which cited sources for this information.
According to The Daily Star, protesters breached the gates of Gono Bhaban and entered the prime minister’s residence premises around 3 PM today. Concurrently, thousands participated in the Anti-Discrimination Students’ Movement’s “March to Dhaka” event, commencing at the Mirpur 10 roundabout and proceeding towards Farmgate.
On August 3, the organizers of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement called for the resignation of Hasina and her cabinet members. Nahid Islam, a prominent organizer, made this demand public during a rally at the Central Shaheed Minar.
This announcement from the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement followed an appeal by Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Hasina, who invited the protesting students to discuss their concerns at Gono Bhaban in an effort to quell the violence associated with the quota reform protests. She stated, “The doors of Gono Bhaban are open. I am eager to meet with the protesting students and hear their grievances. I seek a peaceful resolution.”
