Amid reports that former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina might seek asylum in the UK, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar received a call from UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Thursday. The two discussed the situation in Bangladesh and West Asia.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), S. Jaishankar said, “Had a call from UK Foreign Secretary @DavidLammy today. We discussed the situation in Bangladesh and West Asia.” During a weekly briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also mentioned that the conversation focused on developments in Bangladesh and West Asia.
Bangladesh is currently facing a politically unstable situation. Sheikh Hasina resigned from her position on August 5 and came to India amidst growing protests.
On August 5, Sheikh Hasina had to step down as Prime Minister after protests against the reservation policy turned into a government-opposing movement in Bangladesh. She left the country amidst the violence and is currently in India with her sister. On Thursday, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, with the support of the Bangladeshi military, took over as the head of an interim government. President Mohammad Shahabuddin administered the oath to Yunus and 13 other members. The interim government also includes 16 advisors.