Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and left Bangladesh on Monday, amid violent protests. Media reports confirmed her departure as the country faced some of its worst violence in over five decades. Hasina and her sister were taken to a “safe shelter” away from her official residence, a government source told Reuters.
“The situation is very volatile. What is happening, I myself don’t know,” said Law Minister Anisul Huq. Student activists called for a march to Dhaka, defying a nationwide curfew, demanding Hasina’s resignation. Deadly clashes on Sunday killed nearly 100 people.
As protesters marched, armored personnel carriers and troops patrolled Dhaka’s streets. Reuters TV showed little civilian traffic, except for a few motorcycles and three-wheel taxis. Clashes in Jatrabari and Dhaka Medical College areas killed at least six people, reported the local media. Reuters could not immediately verify the report.
Police used sound grenades in parts of the city to disperse small groups of protesters, reported Prothom Alo. Elsewhere, thousands of protesters surrounded law enforcement officers in front of a key building. Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman was set to address the nation at 2 pm local time but postponed it to 3 pm due to ongoing talks with stakeholders.
The military spokesperson’s office urged the public to refrain from violence and be patient until the army chief’s address. Protests and violence engulfed Bangladesh after student groups demanded the scrapping of a controversial quota system in government jobs. This escalated into a campaign to oust Hasina, who won a fourth term in January in an election boycotted by the opposition.
At least 91 people were killed and hundreds injured on Sunday as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse tens of thousands of protesters. Starting Sunday evening, a nationwide curfew was imposed, railway services suspended, and the garment industry closed.
Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, urged security forces to prevent any takeover from her rule. “Your duty is to keep our people and country safe and uphold the constitution,” Joy said on Facebook. He warned that progress made by Bangladesh would be threatened if she was forced out.
“Everything of our development and progress will vanish,” he said. “Bangladesh would not be able to recover from there. I don’t want that and you also do not want that. I, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, will not let that happen as long as I can.”
Violent protests have forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and leave the country. The situation in Bangladesh remains tense as the demand for her resignation grows louder.
