India is monitoring the situation of minorities in Bangladesh and is in “close and continuous” touch with the Indian community there through its diplomatic missions, the government said on Tuesday.

Reading out a statement both in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar further said India naturally remains deeply concerned till law and order is visibly restored in the neighbouring country and that it has instructed its border guarding forces to be exceptionally alert in view of the complex and still evolving situation there.

Jaishankar briefed the MPs on former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s “very short notice” request to come to India “for the moment”.

Hasina arrived in India Monday evening in a Bangladesh Air Force aircraft, presumably on her way to London or some other European destination, after she had to quit as prime minister with the country plunging into uncertainty in the wake of violent street protests over job quota.

“On August 5, demonstrators converged in Dhaka despite the curfew. Our understanding is that after a meeting with leaders of the security establishment, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina apparently made the decision to resign. At very short notice, she requested approval to come for the moment to India,” Jaishankar said.

“We simultaneously received a request for flight clearance from Bangladesh authorities. She arrived yesterday evening in Delhi. The situation in Bangladesh is still evolving,” he said.

Jaishankar pointed out that Bangladesh Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman addressed the nation on August 5 and spoke about assuming responsibility and constituting an interim government.

“We are in close and continuous touch with the Indian community in Bangladesh through our diplomatic missions. There are an estimated 19,000 Indian nationals there, of which about 9,000 are students. The bulk of the students, however, have already returned to India in the month of July,” the external affairs minister said.

Text: PTI.

Video: ANI/Sansad TV

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