Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met with India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Monday evening after landing at the Hindon Air Force base in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, approximately 30 km from Delhi.
This meeting followed her forced resignation earlier in the day amidst violent protests over a government job quota, which left over 300 people dead.
Sheikh Hasina, the 76-year-old leader who has served five terms as Prime Minister, is expected to travel to London soon, sources told NDTV. Her plane, a Bangladesh Air Force C-130 military transport, will be stationed near Indian Air Force hangars.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been updated on the situation in Bangladesh by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, though it is unclear if he will meet Hasina.
India has heightened security along its 4,096 km border with Bangladesh, with Border Security Force commanders taking "on-ground" positions. Indian Railways has halted all trains to Bangladesh, and Air India has canceled its two daily flights to Dhaka. IndiGo has suspended all flights for the next 30 hours, citing the situation in Dhaka.
The Bangladesh Army, which gave Hasina 45 minutes to resign after her government failed to control the violence, has taken control.
Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced the formation of an "interim government" and urged protesters to cease their actions. He assured the public of protection and promised to address their demands.
Earlier, protesters had stormed Gonobhaban, the Prime Minister's residence in Dhaka. Reports indicated around 400,000 protesters were on the streets, overwhelming barricades set up by soldiers and police.
Sunday's clashes resulted in 100 deaths and over 1,000 injuries. The protests initially erupted over a quota system reserving up to 30% of government jobs for families of veterans from Bangladesh's 1971 war against Pakistan. Although the Supreme Court reduced this quota to 5%, protests intensified after student leaders claimed their demands were ignored, leading to calls for Hasina's resignation.
Images and videos showed jubilant protesters looting Hasina's residence, taking items like sarees, tea cups, TV sets, and paintings. Protesters were also seen celebrating and relaxing on furniture inside the compound.
The protests, which began in July, escalated despite the Supreme Court's intervention, culminating in the military taking control and ending Hasina's 15-year rule. During her tenure, Bangladesh experienced significant economic growth, but it was also marked by the mass arrest of political opponents and human rights violations by her security forces.
Sheikh Hasina's latest term, won in January amid an opposition boycott over election fairness, promised to transform Bangladesh into a "prosperous and developed country." However, the country faces high unemployment among its youth, with 18 million young Bangladeshis out of work according to government figures.
Bangladesh has a history of coups, with the military previously declaring an emergency in January 2007 and installing a caretaker government for two years.