Sheikh Hasina to stay in Delhi ‘for a short duration’, her son says

Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India amid widespread protests against her government, will be staying in Delhi “for a little while,” according to her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy.

Hasina, the 76-year-old leader of the Awami League, arrived at an airbase near Delhi on Monday and has since been relocated to a secure location in Delhi with heavy security. She is accompanied by her sister, Sheikh Rehana.

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In a video interview with Deutsche Welle, Joy addressed rumours about Hasina seeking asylum in another country. “These are just rumours. She hasn’t made any decisions regarding that yet. She will be staying in Delhi for a short time. My sister is with her, so she is not alone,” Joy said.

Hasina’s daughter, Saima Wazed, serves as the World Health Organization’s Regional Director for South-East Asia, which is headquartered in New Delhi.

Plans for Hasina to travel to London have encountered obstacles due to the UK’s reluctance to offer her refuge. Rehana’s daughter, Tulip Siddiq, is a British Parliament member.

Regarding the current unstable situation in Bangladesh, Joy was asked if he has any intentions of entering politics but dismissed the idea, saying: “There are no such plans at the moment. This is the third coup d’état against our family”.

He said that all other family members, except Hasina, have long been living abroad and are settled in their lives, and he also ruled out any possibility of Sheikh Rehana or other family members joining politics. (With inputs from PTI)