Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country on Monday amid violent protests that began over job quotas and evolved into calls for her removal. According to reports, hundreds of people were killed in the crackdown on the demonstrations.
The U.S. has called for a democratic and inclusive process in forming the interim government and urged all parties to restore peace.
Following Hasina’s departure, crowds breached the presidential residence, looting furniture and valuables. In Dhaka, some protesters vandalized a statue of Hasina’s father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, chipping away at its head with an axe.
Hasina’s resignation ended a 15-year second term, marking a total of 20 years in power over the past 30 years. Her departure followed a violent response to protests against job quotas that reserve government positions for families of veterans from the 1971 independence war. The protests, which began with student demonstrations, escalated into a broader movement demanding Hasina's ouster.
Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced Hasina’s resignation in a televised address, stating that an interim government would be established. Zaman, who assumed his role on June 23, promised justice and urged the public to avoid further violence.
The military has imposed a curfew from midnight to 6 a.m., with schools, factories, and universities set to reopen afterward. Hasina’s government had previously enacted an indefinite curfew and a three-day general holiday.
Hasina reportedly landed at a military airfield near Delhi, where she was met by India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. She is expected to depart for London later, though official details about her stay in India remain unconfirmed.
The violence in Bangladesh has included attacks on government buildings, offices of Hasina’s Awami League party, and police stations. Garment factories, a key sector of the economy, have been closed indefinitely.
Student activists had planned a march to Dhaka on Monday despite the curfew, following clashes on Sunday that resulted in nearly 100 deaths. The previous day saw the highest death toll from protests in recent Bangladeshi history, surpassing earlier incidents.
Critics accuse Hasina’s government of excessive force against protesters, a claim her administration denies, labeling the violence as acts of terrorism aimed at destabilizing the nation.
