Dhaka (The Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has quit and fled the country after anti-government demonstrations in which hundreds of people have been killed.
Why Did Sheikh Hasina Resign and Leave Bangladesh?
Bangladesh’s Long-serving Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and left the country, as more people were killed in some of the most destructive violence since the inception of the South Asian country more than five decades ago. Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman informed Hasina’s resignation in a televised speech to the nation and expressed an interim government would be composed.
Where Did Sheikh Hasina Flee After Resigning?
According to Media reports Hasina, 76, was flown in a military helicopter with her sister and was headed to India. The CNN News 18 television channel stated she had anchored in Agartala, the capital of India’s northeastern state of Tripura, across the eastern boundary of Bangladesh.
Bangladesh has been ruined by protests and violence after student demonstrations last month against reservation quotas in administration jobs escalated into a movement for the ouster of Hasina, who succeeded for a fourth straight term in January in a poll boycotted by the opposition. Approximately 250 people have lost their lives and thousands wounded in the violence.
Who Will Lead Bangladesh Following Hasina’s Resignation?
Army chief Zaman stated he had held “fruitful” discussions with leaders of all main political parties he had “invited” and would soon assemble with President Mohammed Shahabuddin to examine the way ahead.
“The country is going through a revolutionary period,” said Zaman, 58, who took over as army chief only on June 23. I promise you all, we will bring justice to all the murders and injustice. We request you to have faith in the army of the country. I take full responsibility and I assure you to not get disheartened,” he stated.
“I request you all to be a little patient, give us some time and together we will be able to solve all the problems,” Zaman spoke. “Please don’t go back to the path of violence and please return to non-violent and peaceful ways.”
How Did Bangladeshis React to Hasina’s Resignation?
Television visuals revealed thousands of people running into the streets of the capital Dhaka in jubilation and screaming slogans. Thousands also stormed Hasina’s official home ‘Ganabhaban’, shouting slogans, pumping fists and displaying victory signs. Crowds thronged the drawing chambers of the residence, and some individuals could be seen carrying away televisions, chairs and plains from what was one of the most guarded buildings in the country.
“She has fled the country, fled the country,” some shouted.
Protesters in Dhaka also mounted atop a large statue of independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Hasina’s father, and started chiselling away at the head with an axe, the visuals displayed.
How Did Anti-Government Demonstrations Escalate in Bangladesh?
Student activists had called for a demonstration in the capital Dhaka on Monday in defiance of a nationwide curfew to push Hasina to resign after deadly crashes across the country on Sunday extinguished nearly 100 people.
On Monday, at least six people lost their lives in clashes between police and protesters at the Jatrabari and Dhaka Medical College sites. Sunday’s casualty toll, which included at least 13 policemen, was the most increased for a single day from any demonstrations in Bangladesh’s recent history, exceeding the 67 deaths reported on July 19 when pupils took to the streets against the quotas.
What Role Did the Military Play in Bangladesh’s Crisis?
The role of the country’s military in tackling the violence had come into compass with a group of retired military officers advising Hasina to withdraw troops from the highways and undertake “political initiatives” to settle the crisis. Critics of Hasina, along with human rights bodies, have blamed her government for using disproportionate force against protesters, a charge she and her ministers deny. Hasina had stated that “those who are carrying out violence are not pupils but terrorists who are out to destabilise the nation”.
