New Delhi: Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, resigned amid violent protests and fled Dhaka two days ago. She landed near Delhi, sparking speculation about her next move. Initial reports suggested she might seek asylum in the UK, but this appears unlikely as the UK Home Office stated that British immigration rules do not allow individuals to travel to the country to seek asylum or temporary refuge.
In an interview with NDTV, Sheikh Hasina's son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, clarified that his mother has not requested asylum anywhere. He mentioned that she had planned to retire after her current term and is now done with politics in Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina's daughter, Saima Wazed, who resides in Delhi, expressed her heartbreak over the situation but indicated she has not met her mother since the escape.
Despite Sheikh Hasina's sister being a UK citizen and her niece, Tulip Siddiq, holding a political position in the Labour Party, the UK has maintained that individuals seeking asylum must do so in the first safe country they reach. Thus, the UK appears hesitant to offer her refuge.
Although Sheikh Hasina's son lives in the US, the strained relations between Washington and Dhaka during her tenure reduce the likelihood of her moving there. There have been unconfirmed reports of her US visa being canceled following her resignation.
Sheikh Hasina has been in India since Monday. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated that she sought approval to come to India on short notice. India is giving her time to decide on her next move, considering her historical relationship with the country, but faces a diplomatic dilemma in supporting her openly.
Sheikh Hasina's future remains uncertain as she considers her options amid geopolitical complexities. The Indian government is providing her with the necessary time and support to recover and plan her next steps.
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New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Wednesday extended its stay on the Allahabad High Court's order that permitted a court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah mosque complex in Mathura.
The complex is located adjacent to the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple, a site of significant religious importance for Hindus.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and justices Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan said it will defer the hearing on the plea of the ‘Committee of Management of Trust Shahi Masjid Idgah’ against the court-monitored survey of the mosque complex in the week commencing April 1.
The CJI said there were three issues pending now with the apex court and they are “the issue of an intra-court appeal (against consolidation of lawsuits filed by the Hindu litigants), the other one is the Act (challenge to the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991) itself. List in the week commencing April 1.”
The bench said in the meanwhile the interim order of the Allahabad High Court staying the court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah mosque complex will continue to operate.
The top court, on January 16 last year, had first stayed the operation of the December 14, 2023 order of the high court.
The high court had allowed a court-monitored survey of the Shahi Idgah mosque complex and agreed to the appointment of a court commissioner to oversee it.
The Hindu side claims the premises hold signs suggesting that a temple once existed at the site.
Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, appearing for the Hindu parties, had said the appeal of the mosque committee was filed against the December 14, 2023 order of the high court and connected orders in the matter had become infructuous.
"All these petitions have become infructuous as the high court has pronounced its order later," he said.
Jain referred to the subsequent order of the high court by which it rejected a plea of the Muslim parties challenging the maintainability of 18 cases related to the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute in Mathura, and ruled that the religious character of the mosque needs to be determined.
The high court had dismissed the Muslim side's contention that the suits filed by the Hindu litigants relating to the dispute over the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple and the adjacent mosque violated the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act of 1991 and therefore were not maintainable.
The 1991 Act prohibits changing the religious character of any shrine from what existed on the day of the country's Independence. It exempted only the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute from its purview.
In Mathura, a suit was filed in the court of Civil Judge Senior Division (III) for shifting the Shahi Idgah mosque, claiming that it was constructed on a part of the 13.37 acre land of the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust.
The Hindu side had requested the high court to conduct the original trial like it had done in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi title dispute.
While allowing the plea for a court-monitored survey, the high court had said that no harm should be caused to the structure during the exercise which it indicated could be overseen by a three-member commission of advocates.