Bangladesh’s prime minister ‘looking for political asylum within the UK’
The Bangladeshi prime minister is seeking ‘political asylum’ in the UK after she fled the country by helicopter, media reports said today.
Sheikh Hasina, who had ruled Bangladesh for 15 years, slipped out of the capital Dhaka as protesters stormed her palace demanding that she quit.
The country has been rocked by violent protests with the ‘Iron Lady’s’ government declaring a nationwide shoot-on-sight policy, which has killed more than 300 and left tens of thousands injured.
Ms Hasina, is now believed to be heading to London where she will reportedly seek ‘asylum’, media in the region has said.
The Foreign Office declined to comment on the specifics of the claims but said: ‘The UK has a proud record of providing protection for people who need it.
‘However, there is no provision within our Immigration Rules for someone to be allowed to travel to the UK to seek asylum or temporary refuge.’
Sheik Hasina (pictured) resigned today and fled to London following the weeks of unrest
Bangladeshi citizens were seen climbing over the prime minister’s residence
Bangladesh has been all but torn apart over the past few weeks by a vicious crackdown on civil unrest by the country’s government
Those who need international protection should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach – that is the fastest route to safety.
Student-led demonstrations against new civil service job quotas began last month, but a brutal crackdown on them by police fuelled wider calls for Ms Hasina to stand down.
Shortly after she was seen on TV boarding a military helicopter, the army chief, General Waker-uz-Zaman, announced he would form a caretaker government.
Ms Hasina, 76, who has ruled Bangladesh since 2009, is the aunt of Labour MP Tulip Siddiq, who represents the Hampstead and Highgate constituency of north London.
As news of her departure spread across the South Asian country, millions took to the streets to celebrate.
Crowds waved flags, some dancing on top of a tank, before thousands broke through the gates of Hasina’s official residence in Dhaka.
Bangladesh’s Channel 24 broadcast images of crowds running into the compound, waving to the camera as they celebrated, looting furniture and books while others relaxed on beds.
General Waker – who has promised the military will stand down when a new government is formed – said that an investigation would be launched into the deadly crackdown on the protests that fuelled outrage against Ms Hasina.
She is the daughter of the country’s first leader Sheikh Mujib Rahman
A rickshaw puller rides in the smoke caused by a burning shopping center which was set on fire by protesters during a rally against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina
The authoritarian leader has faced calls to resign for weeks
Her government is accused of extrajudicial killings
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (C) weeps while she visits a metro station in Mirpur vandalized by students during the anti-quota protests
He has reportedly held talks with the main opposition parties but not Ms Hasina’s Awami League.
Her government had been accused by rights groups of misusing state institutions to entrench its hold on power and stamp out dissent, which included killing opposition activists.
Demonstrations began over the reintroduction of a quota scheme that reserved more than half of all lucrative government jobs for certain groups.
The protests escalated despite the scheme being scaled back by Bangladesh’s top court.
At least 94 people were killed on Sunday, the deadliest day of the unrest, and hundreds more were injured as protesters and government supporters battled each other with sticks and knives, while security forces opened fire.
The latest violence took the total number killed since protests began to at least 320.
Ms Hasina had come to power following a coup. The military declared an emergency in January 2007 after widespread political unrest and installed a caretaker government until Ms Hasina took over. She won her fourth consecutive election in January after a vote without genuine opposition.
