Sheikh Hasina Lands In Airbase Near Delhi After Fleeing Bangladesh

Sheikh Hasina, who quit as Prime Minister of Bangladesh hours ago, landed at the Hindon Airbase near Delhi, after fleeing her country on Monday, NDTV reported. She met National Security Advisor Ajit Doval at Hindon.

Hasina fled after fierce clashes in Dhaka left over 100 dead and plunged the country into chaos. As per reports, the leader is on her way to London through India.

PM Narendra Modi has been briefed on the situation in Bangladesh by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

India's Border Security Force is on high alert across the country's 4,096 km border with Bangladesh, with field commanders ordered to take "on ground" positions and be prepared for anything. Indian Railways has stopped all trains to Bangladesh and Air India and IndiGo has cancelled their daily flights to Dhaka.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh army chief Waker-Uz-Zaman said a new interim government would be formed with the participation of all parties after a meeting of senior military and political leaders at the army headquarters.

"After holding a fruitful discussion with all political parties, we have decided to form an interim government," the Dhaka Tribune quoted the army chief as saying. "We will speak with President Mohammed Shahabuddin now to resolve the situation."

He called for an end to all violence in the name of protest and vowed that the new government would ensure justice for everyone who lost their lives during the Anti-Discriminatory Student Movement.

Hasina, who won re-election earlier this year, left Dhaka in a military helicopter Monday afternoon. The 76-year-old is accompanied by her younger sister, Sheikh Rehana.

Protesters demanding her resignation had stormed Gono Bhaban, the prime minister's official residence, local media reports have said. Images showed flames billowing from vehicles near the prime minister’s home, with police unable to contain throngs of people storming it.

The protests in Bangladesh, which began last month and escalated swiftly, started as an agitation against a quota system, under which 30% of government jobs were reserved for family members of Muktijoddhas—those who fought in Bangladesh's war of independence in 1971.

The protesters have said this system favours supporters of the ruling Awami League and want a merit-based system to replace it. As the protests grew, the Awami League dispensation tried to crush it with an iron hand. In the clashes that followed, more than 300 people were killed.