When Sheikh Hasina found refuge in Delhi's Pandara Road after father's assassination in 1975: Here's how Indira Gandhi helped her then

After the assassination of her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in 1975, Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh who tendered her resignation today amid violent protests, sought refuge in Delhi.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, affectionately known as the "Bangabandhu" or "Friend of Bengal," was brutally murdered along with most of his family members on August 15, 1975, in a military coup. The attack left the nation in mourning and created a vacuum in the country's leadership. Sheikh Hasina and her sister, Sheikh Rehana, were in Europe at the time of the assassination and thus escaped the carnage.

Fearing for their lives, Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana were unable to return to Bangladesh immediately. Instead, they found refuge in India, a country that had played a crucial role in supporting Bangladesh's liberation war in 1971. The then Indira Gandhi government, recognizing the gravity of the situation and the potential dangers facing the surviving members of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's family, extended its protection and support.

The sisters were given shelter at a residence on Pandara Road in Delhi for six years.

Fast forward to 2024, just 10 days before the 49th anniversary of the brutal killings, Bangladesh is experiencing another political crisis. This turmoil has forced Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of Mujibur Rahman, to flee the country and seek temporary refuge in India.

In a 2022 interview, Sheikh Hasina shared that her family members had adopted different identities for their safety. Upon her return from Europe, Hasina met with Indira Gandhi, who helped secure a job for her husband, MA Wazed Miah, through the Indian government.

Hasina also discussed the challenges her young children faced during their six-year exile. Conditions began to improve in the 1980s when the Awami League named Hasina their leader in absentia. She concluded her stay in India in May of that year. In 1996, Hasina was elected Prime Minister of Bangladesh for the first time.

After a significant tenure, she was defeated by her political rival Begum Khaleda Zia in 2001. However, Hasina made a comeback this January, winning the 12th parliamentary elections with a landslide victory, securing her fourth consecutive term as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister.