Bangladesh ex-PM likely to seek political asylum in UK, UN calls for calm & restraint

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who resigned from the prime minister's post amid violent protests, and fled the country is likely to seek political asylum in the UK, media reports said.

Hasina resigned from her post following violent protests in the country and fled the country in a chopper as a mob barged into the prime minister's palace on Aug 5 evening. Hasina who landed at Ghaziabad's Hindon Air Base in a C-130 transport aircraft is reportedly still staying in Ghaziabad.

Protesters celebrated Hasina’s resignation, while the Bangladesh Army reassured agitating people that an interim government would take charge shortly.

Meanwhile, the United Nations is following the situation in Bangladesh "very closely" and calls for calm and restraint in the wake of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation and escape from the country, the UN spokesperson Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Aug 5.

"The Secretary-General deplores the further loss of life during protests in Bangladesh over the weekend. He continues to closely follow developments in the country, including the Chief of Army Staff’s announcement regarding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and plans to form an interim government," Farhan Haq, the UN Deputy Spokesperson said.

At least 98 people were killed on Aug 4, in the deadliest day in weeks of anti-government demonstrations and clashes in Bangladesh taking the overall death toll to over 300 since the protests erupted last month according to health officials and police.

The protests began last month, when the Bangladesh high court ruled in favor of reinstating a 30% quota in government jobs for descendants of freedom fighters.

After Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina refused to meet the students' demands to reverse the order, the protests intensified, leading to clashes with police and government-supporting groups.

Pertinently, over 200 people were killed and several injured during the violent agitation in July alone.

After the talks failed with the government, the students called for a nationwide civil disobedience movement and demanded PM Sheikh Hasina to step down from her position.