Situation In Bangladesh 'still Evolving', Says Indian Foreign Minister

NEW DELHI, Aug 6 (Bernama) -- The situation in Bangladesh is "still evolving", Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on Tuesday, a day after Bangladesh's ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India.

Jaishankar made a statement to the Indian Parliament to provide the government's response to the political change in the neighbouring country.

He said "India-Bangladesh relations have been exceptionally close for many decades over many governments" and pointed out that since the election in January this year "there has been considerable tensions, deep divides and growing polarisation in Bangladesh politics".

The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) had boycotted the controversial election, which Hasina's opponents had described as rigged.

Talking about the mass protests that forced Hasina, a long-term close ally of India, out of office, Jaishankar said India is monitoring the situation and "will naturally remain deeply concerned till law and order is visibly restored".

Hasina landed in a Bangladeshi military plane at an Indian Air Force base near New Delhi within hours of resigning.

"Our understanding is that after a meeting with leaders of the security establishment, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina apparently made the decision to resign. At very short notice, she requested approval to come for the moment to India. We simultaneously received a request for flight clearance from Bangladesh authorities. She arrived yesterday evening in Delhi," Jaishankar said.

"The situation in Bangladesh is still evolving," he said in the statement, noting that Army chief General Waker-uz-Zaman in an address to the nation spoke about assuming responsibility and constituting an interim government.

-- BERNAMA