On August 5, 2024, Sheikh Hasina’s military aircraft landed at Hindon Airbase in Ghaziabad, marking her second time seeking refuge in India after fleeing massive protests in Bangladesh.
Nearly five decades earlier, she and her sister arrived under tragically similar circumstances. They were abroad in 1975 when a military coup resulted in the assassination of their father, Bangladesh’s first president, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and most of their family.
With nowhere else to turn, the sisters sought help from India, a key ally in Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War against Pakistan. India’s then-Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, granted them political asylum.
For almost six years, Hasina lived with her husband, children, and sister under assumed identities at a residence on Pandara Road, a prime location in Delhi. During this exile, she forged strong ties with Indian political leaders, laying the groundwork for her eventual return to Bangladesh and her own entry into politics.
Her deep gratitude for India’s support was well-known in diplomatic circles, exemplified by her enduringly warm relationship with former Indian President Pranab Mukherjee. As a token of her appreciation for sheltering her and her sister, she continued to send him personal gifts until his death.
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