The United States has canceled Sheikh Hasina's visa

The United States has canceled the visa of Sheikh Hasina, who recently stepped down as Prime Minister of Bangladesh amidst the anti-quota movement. This information was confirmed on Tuesday by a source close to the country's foreign ministry.

Following Sheikh Hasina's departure to India, the US State Department called for the formation of a democratic and inclusive interim government in Bangladesh. British journalist David Bergman reported the visa cancellation on social media platform X, citing a source from the Foreign Office. Bergman noted that the US government had revoked the visa of the former Prime Minister, although this information has yet to be confirmed by Dhaka Post.

Dhaka Post is actively seeking confirmation from Foreign Secretary Masood Bin Momen and Stephen Ibeli, spokesperson for the US Embassy in Dhaka. However, due to the confidentiality of visa records under US law, Ibeli stated that individual visa cases are not discussed in detail. Attempts to reach Masood Bin Momen for comment have been unsuccessful.

Sheikh Hasina left Bangladesh on Monday afternoon and is currently in India, reportedly to plan her next steps. Her son, Sajib Wazed Joy, resides in Virginia, but it remains unclear if she had any plans to travel to the US. Bergman also mentioned that Hasina might seek asylum in the UK, where her sister Sheikh Rehana and niece MP Tulip Siddique live. However, current UK immigration laws may complicate this process.

Sheikh Hasina resigned from her position as Prime Minister on Monday and was flown to Hindon Air Base in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, by a Bangladesh Air Force helicopter. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs indicated that she might seek political asylum in the UK, but sources suggest the UK is unlikely to grant her shelter.

Sheikh Rehana, who holds UK citizenship, also fled to India with her sister and is expected to travel to the UK soon. It is uncertain whether Hasina will accompany her.

Upon arriving in India, Sheikh Hasina met with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and high-ranking army officials, who assured her of maximum security. Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar informed the Indian parliament that Hasina sought emergency asylum in India for a brief period. Jaishankar also stated that the Indian government is closely monitoring the situation in Bangladesh and expects the Bangladesh government to ensure the security of the Indian High Commission.

Jaishankar noted that there were about 20,000 Indian citizens in Bangladesh, with at least 8,000 having returned. He emphasized that India's focus would be on the safety of minorities in the current crisis.