Indian security swiftly prepared for any contingency after former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled the violence-hit nation following her resignation on Monday. Hasina arrived in India for safety in an Air Force jet and is reported to remain in the country until granted political asylum in a third country, according to sources.
Indian Air Force (IAF) radars were actively monitoring air space over Bangladesh and detected a low-level-flying aircraft around 3:00 pm coming towards India. At around 6:30 pm, Bangladesh Air Force’s C-130 transport aircraft AJAX1413 carrying Hasina and her sister reached Ghaziabad’s Hindon Air Base.
Sources said that two Rafale fighter aircraft from the 101 squadron from Hashimara air base in West Bengal were airborne over Bihar and Jharkhand to provide safety to Hasina’s jet aircraft. IAF and Army chiefs Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari and Gen Upendra Dwivedi were monitoring the situation very closely, sources added.
A top-level meeting of top security officials was also held with intel agency chiefs, Gen Dwivedi and Integrated Defence Staff chief Lt Gen Johnson Philip Mathew.
Hasina was greeted by the National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval at the Hindan air base. The two held an hour-long discussion on the current situation in Bangladesh and her future course of action.
NSA Doval then left the airbase to brief a Cabinet Committee on a security meeting led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was also informed about the developments throughout the day.
