The Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina has resigned and fled the country amid growing anti-government protests.
Sheikh Hasina is reported to have left Dhaka in a military helicopter after thousands of protestors broke into her residence. Reports claim that Hasina is headed to the city of Agartala in India.
Additionally, she is reported to have left the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka on the helicopter with her sister.
Earlier in the day, Sheikh Hasina left her palace in the capital Dhaka for a “safer place”.
The army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman is expected to issue a national address following the incident after holding a meeting with other officials.
Meanwhile, an estimated 400,000 protesters flooded the streets in protests after a renewed wave of student protests saw its most deadly day on Sunday, August 4, with at least 98 killed.
Today marks three weeks since the start of her government’s crackdown on student protests in Bangladesh.
Why are Bangladesh Students Protesting?
Protesting students called for a march to the capital on Monday, August 5, in defiance of a nationwide curfew that had been effected.
At the same time, the government had shut down internet connectivity in the country
The protests started in July as opposition to civil service job quotas escalated into some of the most severe unrest witnessed during the 15-year rule of Hasina.
However, the protests for quota system reform paused after the Supreme Court abolished most of the quotas on July 21.
Nonetheless, protesters returned demanding a public apology from Hasina for the violence, the restoration of internet connections, the reopening of college and university campuses, and the release of those arrested.
By the weekend, the demonstrations escalated into a campaign calling for Hasina’s removal, with demonstrators seeking justice for those killed during protests.
The students’ group announced a nationwide non-cooperation movement starting Sunday, with a single agenda, demanding the resignation of Hasina.
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The Reign of Hazina
Hasina secured her fourth consecutive term in office in January 2024, after an election that was boycotted by her main opponents.
The main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) claimed that 10 million party members were in hiding ahead of the election, with nearly 25,000 arrested following deadly anti-government protests on October 28, 2023.
Hasina accused the BNP of inciting the anti-government demonstrations that shook Dhaka before the election, resulting in at least 10 deaths.
Initially, 76-year-old Hasina and her government stated that students were not involved in the violence during the quota protests.
They blamed the Islamic party Jamaat-e-Islami and the main opposition, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), for the clashes and arson.
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