New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened a critical meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) on Monday to address the escalating political crisis in Bangladesh. The session was attended by key officials including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Principal Secretary to the PM PK Mishra, Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) Chief Ravi Sinha, and Intelligence Bureau (IB) Director Tapan Deka.
The urgency of the meeting stems from the resignation and departure of Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina amidst mounting protests. Hasina, who led Bangladesh for 15 years, arrived at Hindon Airbase and met with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval following her resignation. The unrest began mid-July over a contentious quota order that allocated 30 percent of civil service jobs to families of 1971 liberation war veterans, which subsequently led to widespread calls for her ouster.
In response to Hasina’s resignation, the Bangladesh Army, under the leadership of Army Chief Waker-uz-Zaman, announced its support for the formation of an interim government and assumed responsibility for maintaining law and order. The protests against Hasina’s government have resulted in over 100 fatalities in the last two days.
Earlier this year, Hasina secured a fourth consecutive term in an election boycotted by the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party led by Begum Khaleda Zia. Her tenure began in 2009 after a prolonged power struggle with Zia.
In light of the turmoil, India has indefinitely suspended all train services to Bangladesh. The Ministry of Railways confirmed that Maitri Express, Bandhan Express, and Mitali Express ceased operations in mid-July due to the violent protests in Bangladesh.
