Bangladesh’s PM Sheikh Hasina who ruled the nation for up to 15 years boarded a military helicopter and fled to India on Monday, August 5, 2024.
After her resignation, Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced that an interim government will run Bangladesh and bring peace to the country. Zaman asked the students to stay calm and put faith in the military, army will investigate all the killings and punish the responsible. He further said that no army or police will indulge in any kind of firing.
She resigned from her status after weeks of deadly protests, with the loss of nearly 300 people. A night of deadly violence on Sunday killed close to 100 people and a curfew was called. For the last few weeks Bangladesh has been in crisis facing communications blackouts, and curfews along with 11,000 arrests. This protest began in July led by students to demand reforms to a quota system for government jobs which the Supreme Court scaled back. This protest later accelerated into a campaign to oust Hasina.
The news of the departure of Hasina spread the wave of celebration among protesters with roaring slogans. Images of crowds storming Hasina’s official residence in Dhaka, making victory signs, overturning furniture, and carrying off books were reported by local media.
