External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar did not rule out the role of “external forces” in the events leading to the ouster of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and said the Indian government would give her time to decide the future course of action. He was briefing an all-party meeting in Parliament on Tuesday (August 6, 2024) morning, a day after Ms. Hasina landed at the Hindon airbase, just hours after her resignation.
The entire Opposition offered its unanimous support to the government. During the half-hour long meeting, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, according to sources, asked if “external forces” had a role in fomenting trouble in Bangladesh. Replying to Mr. Gandhi’s question, the EAM said that the government could not at present make any authoritative comment on the issue. But, Dr. Jaishankar pointed out, a high-ranking Pakistani diplomat had recently changed his social media profile picture to support the agitation.
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A few Opposition leaders asked about the future of the deposed Bangladesh Prime Minister, to which, sources said, Dr. Jaishankar responded that the government would give her “time and space” to decide on her next step.
Mr. Gandhi and the other Opposition leaders also expressed concern over the volatile neighbourhood that India finds itself in, with Ms. Hasina being the last of the friendly leaders to be removed. Mr. Gandhi also advised the government to formulate a medium and long-term strategy to deal with the neighbourhood.
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“We were briefed about the situation in Bangladesh and what the impact will be on India,” Lok Sabha MP and Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal told The Hindu.
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The Trinamool Congress (TMC), which was represented by the party’s Lok Sabha leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay, urged the Centre to keep the West Bengal government in loop about the developments. “We will walk hand-in-hand with the Government of India on this issue. Our only request is that the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, should be informed about the steps that the Centre is taking. My suggestion was well accepted,” Mr. Bandyopadhyay said, speaking to reporters at the conclusion of the meeting.
The TMC’s Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’ Brien expressed similar concerns. “Bengal has the biggest challenge and has to absorb the most pressure during this sensitive time. It would be prudent of the Union government to keep the Chief Minister updated,” Mr. O’ Brien said.
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Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Misa Bharati, who represented her party at the meeting, expressed concern over the safety of Indian citizens and minorities in Bangladesh. “We are with the government in this time of crisis. Our primary concern at this moment is for the safety of Indian citizens, especially students in Bangladesh. We are also concerned about the safety of minorities there,” Ms. Bharati said.
Dr. Jaishankar informed the meeting, and later the Parliament, that of the estimated 19,000 Indian nationals in Bangladesh, about 9,000 are students. The bulk of students had already returned to India in July on the advice of the Indian High Commission, he said.
“Briefed an All-Party meeting in Parliament today about the ongoing developments in Bangladesh. Appreciate the unanimous support and understanding that was extended,” the EAM said in a post on social media platform X after the meeting concluded.
After the meeting, at least one Opposition leader pointed out the absence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, drawing a parallel with a similar meeting held in March 1971, when the then West Pakistan launched ‘Operation Searchlight’ against the then East Pakistan, where the late former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi herself fielded all questions from the Opposition. The gathering then included the late Jan Sangh leader and later BJP Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Published - August 06, 2024 10:08 am IST
