The United States has revoked the visa access of Sheikh Hasina, adding to the turmoil faced by the former Bangladesh Prime Minister, who was forced to flee the country on Monday following a military coup, according to State Department sources. Hasina departed Bangladesh on Monday afternoon and is currently in India, where she is contemplating her next move. Her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, resides in Virginia, USA. It remains unclear if Hasina intended to visit the US.
Reports indicate that Hasina might be considering seeking asylum in the UK, where her sister, Sheikh Rehana, and niece, Tulip Siddiq MP, are based. However, UK regulations require asylum claims to be made from within the UK or a safe third country, which in this case would be India. Hasina may have a pre-existing visa for travel to the UK, but for now, she is staying in India. She arrived at Hindon Air Base in Ghaziabad on Monday and reportedly met with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
In the midst of this upheaval, Khaleda Zia, Hasina’s political rival, has been released from years of house arrest following Hasina’s ouster. Zia, 78, was sentenced to 17 years in prison for corruption in 2018 under Hasina's administration. With Hasina’s departure, the army chief has announced that an interim government will be established, and orders were given to release prisoners from recent protests, including Zia. Zia, the leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), is in poor health, suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, and liver cirrhosis.