Bangladesh Protest: Bangladesh has been spun headlong into a swirl of turmoil since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned on August 5. The army ordered Sheikh Hasina to quit the country as violence and political unrest mounted. The sudden change in the direction her country’s politics was taking sent her exile, and she fled for refuge elsewhere.
Sheikh Hasina’s Dramatic Departure
The plane carrying Sheikh Hasina landed in Agartala of India, from whence she was helicoptered to Hindon Airport in Ghaziabad. There has been a report of her possible visit to London—a city many political leaders facing persecution have opted for. While it remains not clear whether Hasina will finally take up residence in London, the mere speculation begs some questions: what is the reason behind the UK becoming a haven for exiled leaders?.
London’s Refugee Policies
London has always been a safe haven for the political exiles due to its sound asylum policies. The approach taken up by the UK regarding asylum and refugee protection lays much emphasis on rendering safety to persons who face major threats in their countries of origin. Protection is given to any person whose life has come under threat through violence, political persecution, or any other form of oppression.
An individual shall be required to prove that he or she has the well-founded fear of being persecuted on political opinions, religion, nationality, social group, and other grounds so that he or she can be granted asylum in the UK. The government in the UK carefully handles the asylum claims to ensure that the person who seeks asylum is not returned to danger. It is still founded on international standards of human rights and gives a lifeline to those who are in danger.
Previous cases in history
An interesting precedent is the one of former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Sharif spent four years in exile in London after having been overthrown. His asylum in the United Kingdom was based on similar criteria, whereby he had threats and was not safe in Pakistan. Such has been the case with Sharif, where London has served as a place to which some leaders have fled for political asylum following political instability and repression in their respective home countries.
Sheikh Hasina’s Case
With Bangladesh still mired in acute unrest, including countrywide protests and violence, Hasina’s potential move to London would not be unprecedented for the UK, who has a reputation for giving refuge to those in danger. Its asylum rules ensure protection and the opportunity for people like Hasina, under credible threat, to restart life away from their trouble-torn homelands.
Developments in the Bangladesh situation and the potential asylum of Hasina to London raise bigger issues of how leaders and activists everywhere find safety in times of political crises. In doing so, it means that with the international community holding its breath, a role played by the UK as a haven for those fleeing persecution is an essential part of its global humanitarian commitment.