Question mark over her London plans, Delhi ready to host Sheikh Hasina

It is not possible to apply for asylum from outside the UK.

Once in the UK, a person can seek asylum. But since she doesn’t have a valid visa — she doesn’t have a diplomatic or an official passport anymore — Hasina needs a visa to enter the UK, and then seek asylum. But since she is out of the UK, she cannot travel to seek asylum.

And once an asylum request is made, each asylum claim is carefully considered on its individual merits on a case-by-case basis. Hasina wants to seek asylum or temporary refuge as she wants protection from political persecution. She fears that she will be called in as part of investigations against her by the rivals in the new government in Dhaka.

For the time being, her best bet is that she stays in India where she is “safe”.

This has been the crux of the conversations between Hasina, Delhi and London over the last 24 hours.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, along with top officials in the establishment, had met her at the Hindon Air Force station near Delhi. She is learnt to be staying at a “safe house”. Doval has briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has been in touch with relevant officials as well.

The British position was amply clear when British Foreign Secretary David Lammy came out with his statement on Monday, “The last two weeks in Bangladesh have seen unprecedented levels of violence and tragic loss of life. A transitional period has been announced by the Chief of the Army Staff. All sides now need to work together to end the violence, restore calm, deescalate the situation and prevent any further loss of life.”

“The people of Bangladesh deserve a full and independent UN-led investigation into the events of the past few weeks. The UK wants to see action taken to ensure Bangladesh a peaceful and democratic future. The UK and Bangladesh have deep people-to-people links and shared Commonwealth values,” he had said Monday.
There was no mention of the UK considering or granting asylum to Hasina.

She has been in touch with the British government, and London is learnt to have conveyed the message that those who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – that is the “fastest” route to safety.

In Delhi, while there is no stated asylum policy, there is no ambiguity on how to treat Hasina – despite her current unpopularity in Dhaka. She is seen as someone who helped India to quieten the borders between the two countries as she cracked down against anti-India terror groups. Countering terrorism and religious extremism was her article of faith, and India found a reliable and strategic partner in her.

Sources made it clear that there was no question of “abandoning” her at this time of crisis.

Officials point out the history of Sheikh Hasina’s family. Her father Sheikh Mujib, and seven members including her mother and brothers as young as 10-year-old Russell, had been assassinated in 1975, and Hasina escaped since she was in Germany at that time, with her sister Sheikh Rehana.

She came to India and lived here in Delhi’s Pandara Road, where the Indian government gave her shelter – with former President Pranab Mukherjee and his family taking care of her.

At a time when she had to pack her bags and leave in a hurry on Monday – with just some essentials – Delhi is clear that they will offer her refuge. “This is her second home,” a source said.

The fast-paced developments have put South Block in a tight spot, but New Delhi has decided to give her time and space to make up her mind – how long she wants to stay here and her destination.

Plans are being drawn up to house her at an appropriate place, if she chooses to stay, so that she has the highest level of security and there is no threat.
While there are “safe houses” that the intelligence establishment keeps, a call is yet to be taken whether she will be accommodated in a “safe house” for the time being or a place in the Capital’s high security areas in full public glare.

All these are part of ongoing discussions between the top brass in the government – from the Ministries of External Affairs, Home Affairs, Defence and intelligence services. Sources however cautioned that all these discussions are “fluid” as the situation is “highly dynamic”