The political career of Bangladesh's ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been nothing short of a horror roller coaster. As Bangladesh turns over 50, Hasina has witnessed her family's bloodshed, forcing her to flee the country under dire circumstances multiple times.
Just last year, she had to abruptly leave the country amid a speech. Ironically, the same nation that her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had globally recognized is now calling for Sheikh Hasina's death penalty.
Previously Found Refuge in India
Currently, Sheikh Hasina is in India, and the neighboring country has urged her return through an extradition treaty. It's not the first time India has provided sanctuary to Hasina in troubled times. India, particularly Delhi, has previously been a haven for Hasina. During the 1975 era, her address was Cottage Number M-56, Lajpat Nagar, New Delhi.
Source: aajtak
The Bungalow Where Sheikh Hasina Stayed
Veteran journalist Vivek Shukla elaborates on the history of this cottage. He explains that 'while Lajpat Nagar is now a commercial and bustling area, it remains a posh location that once served as a center of diplomacy.
In Lajpat Nagar-3, there used to be a bungalow, M.
Sheikh Hasina stayed here with her husband, Wazed Miah. Initially provided accommodation at this spot along the Ring Road, she was later shifted to Pandara Park.
The house number 56 in Lajpat Nagar-3 is still there today, but its identity is different. Diplomat Regency Hotel operates here now, and few know it temporarily served as Iraq's embassy.
Vivek Shukla mentions that the cottage is owned by the Kohli family from Delhi. According to South Delhi real estate consultant Anil Makhijani, this family currently resides in New Friends Colony.
The Horrific Night of Family Massacre
On August 15, 1975, Bangladesh's founding father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was brutally assassinated. This tragedy occurred roughly four years after Mujibur Rahman became the country's president. The massacre claimed the lives of 18 members of Hasina's family, sending shockwaves throughout Bangladesh and plunging the nation into political instability and military rule.
At the time, Hasina and her husband, Wazed Miah, were in Germany. Their only option was to seek refuge in India. India, having played a decisive role in Bangladesh's liberation from Pakistan during the 1971 Liberation War, was a safe choice.
In a 2022 interview with India Today, Sheikh Hasina recounted these painful moments. She recalled, "After receiving information about safety and shelter from Indira Gandhi (then-Prime Minister), we decided to return here (Delhi) because we believed that if we went to Delhi, we could eventually return to our own country and discover which family members were still alive."
After leaving Germany, Hasina and her family, including her two young children, were initially housed in a secure location in Delhi, where they lived under tight security due to threats to their lives. She recounted in a 2022 interview about her secretive residency in Delhi.
Source: aajtak
Life in India Proved Beneficial for Her
Under the leadership of Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, India promptly offered security and shelter to Hasina. Her six-year exile in India was a significant and transformative period in her life. During this time, she not only ensured her safety but also gained insight into Bangladesh's politics and her legacy.
While residing first in Lajpat Nagar and then moving to Pandara Park, Hasina worked through her family's tragedy and laid the groundwork for her future, eventually succeeding in becoming Bangladesh's Prime Minister. India's hospitality provided her with new strength, which later became the foundation for her return to Bangladesh's political scene. But fate...
