POBNEWS24, Dhaka Oct 24, 2024 : Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India amid a student-led uprising on August 5, has been residing in a safe house in New Delhi’s Lutyens Bungalow Zone for over two months.
The arrangement was made by the Indian government.
According to Indian news portal The Print, the safe house is a full-sized Lutyens bungalow, typically reserved for ministers, senior MPs, and top officials. Hasina has been taking occasional walks in Lodhi Garden under strict security protocols.
For privacy reasons, The Print opted not to disclose her exact address.
“She has a strong security detail, with personnel guarding her around the clock in plainclothes. As a dignitary, she is receiving this level of protection,” an official told The Print’s Ananya Bhardwaj. “She has been living in the area for more than two months now. All arrangements for her stay were made here.”
Hasina, accompanied by her sister Sheikh Rehana and a few close aides, flew into Hindon Airbase in Ghaziabad aboard a Bangladesh Air Force aircraft on August 5, just hours after her resignation amid deadly anti-government protests.
Although she initially stayed at the airbase, she moved out within two days. National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and senior military officials met her on the day of her arrival.
“She could not have stayed at the airbase for too long; the arrangements there were inadequate. Within a few days, she was relocated to a secure location in Lutyens’ Delhi,” another official said. Known for its high security, this area is home to many former and current Members of Parliament.
Regarding her movements, an official mentioned, “The core security group is informed when necessary, and arrangements are made accordingly.”
The disclosure of Sheikh Hasina’s location comes shortly after Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal issued arrest warrants against her in several cases on charges of ‘massacre.’
This is not the first time Sheikh Hasina has sought refuge in India. Following the assassination of her family, including her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in 1975, Hasina, along with her husband, children, and sister, lived under an assumed identity in Delhi’s Pandara Road in Lajpat Nagar for six years, from 1975 to 1981.
