The US has allegedly cancelled the visa for Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh’s exiled Prime Minister, who was recently dumped. News 18 received information from sources near the opposition on Tuesday that the US initiated this action after Hasina’s resignation out of bloody emission and protest for government job quota across Bangladesh’s territory.
Unrest has been increasing, and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned on Monday. The riots, as the protests got out of hand, were mainly over changes in the civil service job quota.
Hasina’s interaction with the US has been primarily beneficial, whereby both sides have been mutually working on various issues, including fighting extremism and hosting Rohingya refugees from Myanmar. However, the US had turned sceptical towards Hasina’s administration, describing her government as autocratic and placing visa restrictions on the freedom of democracy in Bangladesh, as per the reports of AFP.
The situation escalated in Bangladesh on Monday, with violent protests and Opposition demands, and the US expressed displeasure. Spokesman of the USA State Department, Matthew Miller, addressed the entire international community to use no violence any further, stating that several people were killed over the last several weeks alone and appealed to follow restraint in the following days and nights.
When sympathy was expressed toward an interim government in Bangladesh, Miller is reported to have supported such a move, but he was adamant that it had to be done legally within Bangladesh’s laws. Regarding the possibilities of the military selecting new leadership, Miller noted that it was high time the people of Bangladesh elected their government.
Miller also spoke about human rights violations, victims, and losses for the past week and called for a proper investigation.
It is also stated that Sheikh Hasina intends to seek asylum in the United Kingdom. However, the NDTV news established that the UK Home Office pointed out that British immigration laws do not allow people to travel to the country for asylum or refuge. Getting into the UK can be arranged only if the person himself has an opportunity and is suitable to travel to the United Kingdom. The UK government stated: “The UK has a good record of protecting individuals who need protection. However, there is no provision for a person to allow himself to travel to the UK for asylum or temporary shelter.
The governmental attempts to address the situation and citizens’ demands concerning job quotas have led to violent protests in Bangladesh. In another of Hossein Marivan’s implementations to control the demonstrations, several hundreds got killed. The position worsened when the military acted against Hasina, who was forced to escape the country in a helicopter on Monday.
In light of the continuing crisis, Bangladesh’s president on Tuesday dismissed Parliament so that the long-standing Prime Minister could be replaced by new elections. This decision was reached after weeks of protests and acts of violence characterised by protesters and security forces.
In this regard, amidst the political commotion, the Noble Laureate, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, was ready to head a transitional government. `I am honored by the protesters’ trust in me to help steer their movement,’ Yunus told AFP in a statement, in which he also stated his preparedness to lead the country in the transitional period.
