News Desk :
Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India after lakhs of anti-government protesters stormed her Dhaka residence on 5 August, has been living in a safe house in New Delhi’s Lutyens Bungalow Zone, arranged for her by the Government of India, for over two months, The Print has learnt.
In keeping with her status, it is a full-sized Lutyens’ bungalow of the kind allotted to ministers, senior MPs and top officials. To protect her privacy and security, ThePrint has chosen not to disclose her exact address or street details, reports The Print.
With proper protocol for security, Hasina takes occasional walks at the Lodhi Garden, sources confirmed to The Print.
“She has a strong security detail, with personnel guarding her round the clock but in plain clothes. As a dignitary, she is receiving this level of protection,” a source confirmed. “She has been living in the area for more than two months now. All arrangements for her stay were made here.”
According to sources, Hasina and a few people close to her flew into the Hindon airbase aboard a Bangladesh Air Force aircraft late on 5 August, hours after she resigned following weeks of deadly anti-government protests that claimed over 400 lives. However, she left the airbase within two days. On the day of her arrival, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and senior military officials had met her at the airbase.
“She could not have stayed at the airbase for too long. The arrangements there were not adequate. So, in just a few days, she was moved out to a safe place and then this arrangement for a house was done in the safe and secured area of Lutyens’ Delhi,” a second source said.
This is a high security area with houses of many former and serving Members of Parliament.
When asked if she moves out of the house often, the source said, “The core security group is informed when there is a need and arrangements are made accordingly.”
Although the government of India has not formally disclosed Sheikh Hasina’s location to the Bangladesh government, External affairs minister S. Jaishankar had told Parliament in August that Hasina had sought approval to come to India “for the moment”.
The Print reached the Ministry of External Affairs via calls and messages. This report will be updated if and when a response is received.
Hasina was accompanied by her sister Sheikh Rehana, a British citizen whose daughter Tulip Siddiq is a Labour Party leader in the UK, on her flight to India. It is, however, unclear if she is staying at the house with her sister.
Hasina’s daughter, Saima Wazed, who is the Regional Director of the South-East Asia Region at the World Health Organisation’s Delhi Headquarters, also stays in Delhi. She is the first Bangladeshi to hold this position.