Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina Resigns, Flees to India

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned and left the country following severe unrest, with over 300 people reported dead in some of the worst violence since the nation’s independence more than 50 years ago.

According to local media, the longtime leader of the country has boarded a helicopter headed to India after crowds ignored a national curfew to storm the prime minister’s palace in Dhaka.

The Bangaldesh’s Army Chief had announced that they stands with the Students, the protestors, and had given a 45 minutes ultimatum to Sheikh Hasina to tender her resignation.

Update: Bangladesh: Army Chief Announces Interim Government as Sheikh Hasina Resigns

On Sunday, clashes between protesters, demanding Hasina’s resignation, and security forces, along with ruling party supporters, resulted in nearly 100 deaths. Last month, violence sparked by student groups protesting against reserved quotas in government jobs led to at least 150 deaths and thousands of injuries.

The latest protests are led by the ‘Students Against Discrimination’ group, which previously spearheaded the quota reform demonstrations. After the Supreme Court annulled most quotas on July 21, the protests paused but resumed with new demands. Protesters are now calling for a public apology from Hasina, restoration of internet services, reopening of educational institutions, and the release of those detained.

By the weekend, the protests evolved into a broader movement calling for Hasina’s resignation, with demonstrators demanding justice for the recent violence. The students’ group has initiated a nationwide non-cooperation campaign focused on the single objective of Hasina stepping down.