India evacuates embassy staff from Bangladesh due to ongoing unrest
The decision was made after extensive demonstrations regarding job quotas led to Sheikh Hasina stepping down.
India has relocated all non-essential personnel and their families from its embassy and consulates in Bangladesh, sources have verified. The decision was made after extensive demonstrations regarding job quotas led to Sheikh Hasina stepping down as Bangladesh’s prime minister and fleeing.
The High Commission remains operational with a minimal staff, while those who returned to India did so voluntarily, according to sources.
Despite the unrest, key officers, including the High Commissioner of India to Dhaka, are still in their positions.
As per sources, the relocation took place using commercial flights and the High Commission is still functioning, with dedicated staff managing essential tasks amidst turmoil in the area. Apart from the High Commission in the capital, India has assistant high commissions or consulates in various other cities, including Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna, and Sylhet.
The protests against the nation’s quota system for families of freedom fighters gradually turned into anti-government movements, with protesters demanding Sheikh Hasina’s resignation as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister. Nearly 300 individuals lost their lives after authorities utilized force to disperse the crowd and suppress the protests that spread throughout the country.
Following the storming of the Prime Minister’s residence by protestors on Monday, Sheikh Hasina, who had been in power since 2009, resigned and left the country.
Hasina arrived at an airbase near Delhi on Monday evening. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met with the former prime minister, who is anticipated to depart for the UK, where she may seek political refuge.
Bangladesh’s army chief, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, proclaimed Hasina’s resignation in a broadcast on state television, declaring that the military would establish an interim government. The Bangladesh military has taken on the responsibility of safeguarding Dhaka’s diplomatic area, previously managed by the police. They are now tasked with protecting the residences of ambassadors and foreign missions in the Gulshan and Baridhara zones.
Earlier on Wednesday, a special Air India flight, using an A321 Neo aircraft, departed from Delhi without any passengers and returned with 199 adults and six infants from Dhaka.
Air India will begin its regular flights to Dhaka, with two daily flights from Delhi. Other airlines, including Vistara and IndiGo, will also continue their services to Dhaka as planned.
The Indian government has not released any official statement regarding the relocation.
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