On August 5, 2024, as violence escalated and protesters breached the security of her residence, Hasina has reportedly fled to India after resigning from her post.
Foreign Policy
In a dramatic turn of events, Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned and fled the country amid escalating anti-government protests. The unrest, which has been intensifying over the past several weeks, reached a climax when protesters stormed her official residence in Dhaka.
The demonstrations, initially sparked by opposition to a controversial quota system for government jobs, have grown into a broader movement against Hasina’s 15-year rule. The quota system, which reserved a significant portion of civil service jobs for specific groups such as descendants of war veterans, had been reinstated by a high court decision in mid-July. This decision reignited public outrage, leading to widespread protests across major cities including Dhaka, Rajshahi, Barisal, and Chittagong. Although the protests started out peacefully amidst students, the protests soon turned deadly as the Prime Minister unleashed the police and paramilitary forces against the students which led to the start of the end. This started the brutality, the killings, black-outs and finally the fleeing of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
On August 5, 2024, as violence escalated and protesters breached the security of her residence, Hasina has reportedly fled to India after resigning from her post. The Indian media reported her arrival at Hindon Airport near New Delhi, seeking refuge in a country where she had previously lived during her early years following her father's assassination in 1975.
The death toll from the protests has been substantial, with at least 91 people killed in a single day of clashes between protesters and security forces, marking the deadliest day of the unrest. Over the course of the protests, hundreds have been injured, including 13 police officers. The government's response, which included imposing an indefinite nationwide curfew, has been criticized by human rights groups for the excessive use of force.
In the wake of Hasina's departure, Bangladesh's army chief, General Waker-uz-Zaman, announced that the military would form an interim government to restore order and address the protesters' demands. He assured the public that there would be no further violence from the military or police and called for calm and restraint.
Whatever demands you have we will fulfill and bring back peace to the nation, please help us in this, stay away from violence. The military will not fire at anyone, the police will not fire at anyone, I have given orders.
The international community, including the UN and the EU, has urged for a peaceful and democratic transition, emphasizing the need for impartial investigations into the deaths that occurred during the protests.
This development marks a significant shift in Bangladesh’s political landscape, ending Sheikh Hasina's long tenure as Prime Minister and opening a new chapter for the nation as it navigates through this period of political turmoil and seeks stability under interim military governance.
Bangladesh updates: PM Hasina resigns amid massive protests – DW – 08/05/2024
