Is India considering granting political asylum to Sheikh Hasina?

After losing power in Bangladesh two and a half months ago, Sheikh Hasina arrived in Delhi on a military aircraft. Since then, she has not been seen in public.

No picture of her has appeared on social media either. Even though some audio recordings of her phone conversations have surfaced, there is no evidence that it is Hasina’s voice.

No spokesperson or minister of the Indian government has said a word so far about where and how Sheikh Hasina or her younger sister Sheikh Rihanna are after arriving in Delhi. No one has commented on the matter even in any press conference or interview.

Now, on the evening of October 17, the Indian government has only formally said that Sheikh Hasina is still in India. Last week the news of Sheikh Hasina going to the UAE or any Middle Eastern country was baseless. Now, the Indian government has also officially confirmed this.
It is true that the central government has maintained absolute secrecy about Sheikh Hasina’s stay in India, but it is not clear how many days she will have to stay in the country.

A senior official from the South Delhi Block, expressing his personal opinion, says, “It is going to be a long road.” In his opinion, the government is slowly preparing for the reality that Sheikh Hasina will have to be allowed to stay in India for a long time.

Is something similar being considered in the case of Sheikh Hasina, just as Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama and Afghan President Mohammad Najibullah were given political asylum with their families in the past?

To find the answer to this question, BBC Bangla has spoken to officials posted at various levels of the government and in various ministries. The answer received on that basis is almost as follows:

In the eyes of India, Sheikh Hasina is currently a “guest, but by obligation.” That is, she is a respected guest of the country who has been forced to come to India under special circumstances.

The Indian government knows very well that she has come to India in view of the security threat in her country.

Now, on the basis of this guest status, she can stay here for a long time. The Indian government has no problem with this. As an old friend and guest of the country, she will be given all respect and facilities.

At present, India has no plans to give political asylum to Sheikh Hasina. The most important thing is that Sheikh Hasina herself has not applied for political asylum.

But the Indian government knows that if such a proposal is put forward in the future, all political parties will agree on this issue and there will be no problem in creating a political consensus on the issue of granting political asylum to Sheikh Hasina.

At present, it seems that India wants to keep Sheikh Hasina as a guest, but does not want to give her asylum.

Can these circumstances change in the future?