Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikha Hasina, resigned on Monday and fled the country after weeks of violent protests.
The Prime Minister’s resignation came amid the worst cycle of violence the South Asian country has seen in 50 years, that claimed the lives of hundreds of people.
Sheikha Hasina Resignation
Local media reports showed the Bangladeshi Prime Minister boarding a military helicopter with her sister, claiming she was heading to India. Shortly after, Bangladesh’s military chief Gen. Waker-uz-Zaman spoke about plans to form an interim government, with the help of the President, reported the Associated Press (AP).
The military chief said that the military would open an investigation into the crackdowns that fueled the protests against the government, promising that the army would stand down. He asked citizens for time to restore stability and peace.
“Keep faith in the military, we will investigate all the killings and punish the responsible. I have ordered that no army and police will indulge in any kind of firing. Now, the students’ duty is to stay calm and help us,” he said.
Deadly Protests
Although the protests began peacefully as a student demonstration against the job quota system, they turned violent and became more of an uprising against Hasina and her ruling Awami League party.
The government’s violent crackdown against protesters left 300 people dead and sparked further outrage against the Prime Minister and calls for her to step down. On Sunday, deadly clashes with the police killed at least 95 people, including 14 police officers, and injured hundreds more in the capital city of Dhaka.
The police have arrested at least 11,000 people in recent weeks. The chaos has also led to the closure of schools and universities, and authorities imposed a shoot-on-sight curfew.
Quota System
The protests in Bangladesh targeted the government quota system, which reserves up to 30% of government’s jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s war of independence from Pakistan in 1971. Protestors deemed this system discriminatory and favors the supporters of the ruling party.
In an attempt to quell the protesters’ anger, the Bangladeshi Supreme Court in July removed most of the job quotas that sparked the protests, ruling that 93% of government jobs will be open to candidates based on merit.
Non-stop Protests
Despite the Supreme Court ruling, protesters didn’t leave the streets and escalated their protests into a campaign calling for Hasina’s resignation after two decades in power, demanding justice for those who were killed in the protests.
Over the weekend, protesters urged people to stop paying taxes or utility bills and not to go to work on Sunday. Hasina offered to talk with student leaders on Saturday, but they refused and insisted on her resignation.
After reports that she quit and fled the country, huge crowds have cheered and celebrated in the streets of Dhaka. Local media showed thousands of people storming Hasina’s official residence ‘Ganabhaban’, showing victory signs, according to Reuters.
End of Hasina’s Reign
Sheikha Hasina has ruled Bangladesh since 2009, making her the longest-serving leader of the South Asian country that is strategically located between India and Myanmar. She won her fourth consecutive term in January, in a vote boycotted by the main opposition party.
Hasina has faced accusations from her political opponents that her rule has become increasingly autocratic, calling her a threat to Bangladesh’s democracy. Similarly, rights groups have accused her government of misusing state institutions to entrench its control and crush the opposition.
