Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned and fled the country after weeks of deadly protests against her government.The removal of Hasina on Monday followed weeks of deadly protests and appears to have averted the threat of further bloodshed.
In an address to the nation, army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced that an interim government will now run Bangladesh and called for calm.
Hasina, who ruled the country for close to two decades, boarded a military helicopter on Monday, as huge crowds ignored a national curfew to storm her palace in Dhaka. Media reports in India say an aircraft carrying Hasina landed at Hindon Air Base near New Delhi. She was on board a Bangladesh Air Force aircraft which landed at the base in Ghaziabad, India Today news channel reported.
Her resignation came after nearly 300 people died in weeks of protest that the authorities sought to crush. A night of deadly violence on Sunday killed close to 100 and a curfew was called. On Monday, huge crowds stormed the prime minister’s palace, preventing Hasina from delivering a speech. At least 20 more people were killed during violence in Dhaka as protesters stormed buildings, a police officer told.
Despite the violence, by early afternoon, the mood on the streets had turned to one of celebration after the news of the premier’s departure spread.
Jubilant crowds waved flags, some dancing on top of a tank in the streets, before thousands broke through the gates of Hasina’s official residence.
Bangladesh Television channels broadcast images of crowds running into the compound, waving to the camera as they celebrated, looting furniture and books while others relaxed on beds.
Everybody is celebrating, not just students people from all walks of life. They said this had to happen, there was nothing we could say, democracy was squeezed and now we are free.