Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country, amid widespread protests and violence over a controversial quota system in government jobs. The protests escalated into a broader movement against her leadership and use of force to suppress protests, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries.
Thousands of jubilant citizens took to the streets of Dhaka, with some breaking into Hasina's official residence and vandalizing the premises. Over 100 casualties were recorded in the events, including 14 policemen. According to some reports, protesters set fire to the Awami League party office and damaged a statue of independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Student activists started a "Long March to Dhaka" to demand Hasina's resignation under the banner "Students Against Discrimination," following deadly clashes between police and protesters that claimed over 300 lives since July.
In an attempt to diffuse the protests, authorities imposed restrictions banned Meta platforms, declared curfews, and announced a three days holiday. The main airport in the capital suspended operations, and the Border Security Force (BSF) issued a "high alert" along the India-Bangladesh border. The government suspended internet services, banned Meta platforms, and declared a holiday for three days in an attempt to diffuse the protests.
The Bangladesh military, led by Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, announced plans to establish an interim government after talks with political parties, following Hasina's reported resignation and departure. The Army Chief assured the public that order would be restored and pledged to investigate the crackdown on protests.
Sources: Washington Post, Al Jazeera, Devdiscourse, Assam Tribune, Firstpost, AP News, Time, FT (Financial Times), HuffPost, Nikkei Asia, DW (Deutsche Welle), France24, Times of India, Deccan Herald, India TV News, The Hindu, Onmanorama, Jagran, News18, Malay Mail
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq.
