External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy engaged in a phone conversation on Thursday to discuss the rapidly evolving situation in Bangladesh, as well as developments in West Asia. Jaishankar shared this update on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Received a call from UK Foreign Secretary @DavidLammy today. Discussed the situation in Bangladesh and West Asia.”
The conversation comes amidst ongoing uncertainty surrounding former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has recently resigned amid widespread protests in her home country. Hasina, currently in India, had been speculated to be seeking asylum in the UK, but reports suggest that these plans have faltered. The UK’s reluctance to offer her refuge is attributed to British immigration laws, which stipulate that asylum applications cannot be made from outside the country and are assessed on a case-by-case basis, according to PTI.
Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Hasina’s son and adviser, has dismissed the asylum speculation as “rumours,” asserting that there are no current plans for his mother to seek asylum in the UK or elsewhere. He stated, “Nothing of this sort has been planned. Sooner or later, there has to be a restoration of democracy in Bangladesh, and hopefully, that will be between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Awami League. Then Sheikh Hasina will be back.”
Sheikh Hasina, who served as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister for 15 years, resigned on Monday following escalating protests initially sparked by opposition to a job quota scheme and demands for her removal. She arrived at Hindon airbase in Ghaziabad, near the Indian capital, on Monday. The External Affairs Ministry has stated that it is up to Sheikh Hasina to decide her next steps and has no further updates on her situation. “It is not appropriate to talk about her plans,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.