Hasina gave a short notice about going to India

Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina apparently made the decision to step down after a meeting with the leaders of the security establishment, India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said yesterday.

"At very short notice, she requested approval to come for the moment to India," the minister said in a suo motu statement in the Rajya Sabha on the situation in Bangladesh.

India simultaneously received a request for flight clearance from the Bangladesh authorities, he said, adding that Hasina arrived in Delhi on Monday evening.

His statement came a day after Hasina's resignation and fleeing to India.

Addressing an all-party meeting at the Parliament House, Jaishankar said India was giving Hasina some time "to recover" before talking to her as she was in a state of shock, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

The Indian government would give her the necessary assistance, he said.

Several leaders including Rahul Gandhi of Congress conveyed their full cooperation to the government in this regard.

Rahul enquired about the Indian government's short-term and long-term strategy in dealing with diplomatic ramifications of the power shift in Dhaka, reports India Today.

In response, Jaishankar said it is a developing situation and the government is analysing it closely so that it can fine-tune its next move.

Rahul also wanted to know about the state of minorities in Bangladesh and the possibility of a "foreign hand" in the unrest.

The minister said it would be too soon to talk about external interference as it is still a developing situation.

Jaishankar told the Rajya Sabha that India remains deeply concerned until law and order is visibly restored in Bangladesh.

"We are also monitoring the situation with regard to the status of minorities."

There are reports of initiatives by various groups and organisations to ensure their protection and well-being.

The minister said Indian border guards have been instructed to be exceptionally alert in view of the complex situation.

He hoped the Bangladesh government would provide the required security protection for the Indian High Commission in Dhaka and the assistant high commissions in Chattogram, Rajshahi, Khulna and Sylhet.

"We look forward to their normal functioning once the situation stabilises."

India is in close and continuous touch with its nationals in Bangladesh through its diplomatic missions. There are an estimated 19,000 Indian nationals in Bangladesh.

Jaishankar said that India-Bangladesh relations have been exceptionally close for many decades, adding that the concern about recent violence and instability there is shared across the political spectrum.

Since the national election in January this year, there have been considerable tensions, deep divides and growing polarisation in Bangladesh politics.

This underlying foundation aggravated a student agitation that started in June, he said.

There was growing violence, including attacks on public buildings and infrastructure, which continued through July.

On August 4, events took a very serious turn. Attacks on police and government installations intensified as overall levels of violence greatly escalated. Properties of individuals associated with the regime were torched across the country, Jaishankar said.

"What was particularly worrying was that minorities, their businesses and temples have also come under attack at multiple locations."

The full extent of the damage caused to minorities by vandalism is still not clear.

US ORDERS NON-EMERGENCY STAFF OUT OF BANGLADESH

The United States government yesterday said it had ordered non-emergency personnel to leave Bangladesh as a precaution after mass protests ousted Hasina, reports AFP.

The State Department said that all non-emergency diplomats and other personnel as well as their family members had been ordered to leave as of Monday, although the US embassy in Dhaka remains open at limited capacity.

The US had last month warned its citizens not to travel to Bangladesh, citing the risk of civil unrest, crime and terrorism.