DHAKA: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, currently at a secret location in India, had planned to fly to London, where she owns a residence. However, she will remain in India as the United Kingdom has refused her request for asylum and the United States has canceled her visa.
Sheikh Hasina, president of the Awami League, resigned in the face of significant student protests and subsequently left Bangladesh for India.
Upon arriving in India, it was expected that she would stay there until she could obtain a British visa for asylum in the UK. However, Indian media reports indicate that newly elected British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has refused her asylum request. This refusal is in line with the UK’s new policy requiring asylum seekers to reside temporarily in a third country while their claims are assessed.
The new UK policy mandates that asylum seekers stay in a third country for evaluation before being granted asylum. As a result, Sheikh Hasina’s request for asylum in the UK has been denied.
Additionally, Indian media reports suggest that the US has canceled Sheikh Hasina’s visa, though there has been no official statement from the US on this matter. A US State Department spokesperson recently affirmed the US’s support for the people of Bangladesh.
The Indian government, maintaining diplomatic relations with Hasina’s former administration, has allowed her to stay in India while she seeks political asylum in another country.
