When Sheikh Hasina stayed at Pandara Park for 6 years

The massacre of Sheikh Hasina's family had shattered her. She was broken. Then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi decided to grant her political asylum in India. Indira Gandhi and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had a personal relationship

After quitting the post of Prime Minister of Bangladesh on Monday, Sheikh Hasina landed in Hindon Airbase in the evening. Now there are reports that the Indian government will perhaps give political asylum to her. Well, Delhi is like a second home for Sheikh Hasina as she lived an exiled life in Pandara Park for six long years.

How can Sheikh Hasina forget her days spent in Delhi? She lived a solitary exiled life here during 1975-1981. Her husband, Dr. M.A. Wazeed, and their two children were also with her. She lived in a flat in Pandara Park. Pranab Kumar Mukherjee and his wife Shubhra Mukherjee were her trusted friends during that difficult time. Sheikh Hasina and Shubhra Mukherjee became very close. The two families met constantly. In fact, Sheikh Hasina's father and the founder of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, her mother, and three brothers were killed on August 15, 1975, at their residence in Dhanmondi, Dhaka. Sheikh Hasina was in Germany with her husband Dr. M.A Wazeed and their children during that horrific massacre. So they all survived. Dr.Wazeed was a nuclear scientist. He was working in Germany. “Sheikh Hasina also lived in 56, Lajpat Nagar, Part 3 in the capital for a few weeks before shifting to Pandara Road. The Bangladesh High Commission operated from there for many years. Now the High Commission is in Chanakyapuri,” informs Anil Makhijani, a Real estate consultant an old resident of Lajpat Nagar.

Who gave Asylum?

The massacre of Sheikh Hasina's family had shattered her. She was broken. Then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi decided to grant her political asylum in India. Indira Gandhi and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had a personal relationship. After the assassination, there was no question of Sheikh Hasina returning to Bangladesh. In Delhi, Sheikh Hasina used to go to Pranab Mukherjee's house in Talakatora Road regularly with her family. The children of both families also became close. “Sheikh Hasina also started working for All India Radio's Bangla service to pass the time,” recalls Manmohan Sharma, a veteran journalist.

Sheikh Hasina returned to her homeland in 1981, but her relationship with the Mukherjee family remained unbroken. Whenever she came to Delhi, she made sure to spend some time with Shubhra Mukherjee and Pranab Mukherjee. Shubhra Mukherjee was a teacher. She taught at Lady Irwin School in the capital. Once Sharmistha Mukherjee, the daughter of Pranab Kumar Mukherjee had said, “My mother (Shubhra Mukherjee) and Sheikh Hasina used to discuss art, music, and Bengali literature. When my mother passed away on August 18, 2015, Sheikh Hasina came with her daughter Putul to express her condolences to my family. With Putul, I also played with dolls together at India Gate.”

When Sheikh Hasina used to live in Delhi, leaders of the Awami League would come to meet her regularly. They would request her to be active in her country's politics. After a long time, she decided to enter Bangladesh's politics. She then returned to her homeland in 1981.

If Sheikh Hasina stays in Delhi again, she will miss her friends from her troubled days. She will not be able to meet either Shubhra Mukherjee or former President of India Pranab Kumar Mukherjee. Both have passed away.

Of course, Sheikh Hasina will get to see a road in her father's name, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. It was called Park Street until 2017. This road is near Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was a central figure in the Bangladesh liberation movement. He came to Delhi on January 10, 1972. He received a grand welcome at Palam airport. It was bitterly cold in the capital that day. He thanked India for its support in the Bangladesh liberation movement. He was welcomed at the airport by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her entire cabinet. The national anthems of both countries were played at the airport. Thousands of Delhiites were waving to him along the route from the airport to Rashtrapati Bhavan. It is understandable that Sheikh Hasina loves Delhi.

(The author is Delhi-based senior journalist and writer. He is author of Gandhi's Delhi which has brought to the forth many hidden facts about Mahatma Gandhi)