MIAMI, United States. – Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country on Monday after facing massive protests that culminated with demonstrators storming her residence and setting fire to government offices, according to reports international media.
With her departure, Hasina put an end to a 15-year rule marked by growing opposition in recent months.
In accordance with a report of The Washington PostBangladesh Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced Hasina’s resignation in a televised address, saying that “an interim government will be formed in the coming days.”
Clashes between protesters and Hasina’s security forces escalated this past weekend, with dozens killed on Sunday alone.
The protests have reportedly disrupted daily life across Bangladesh. Most garment factories, the mainstay of the country’s economy, remained closed on Monday. Flights to the capital Dhaka were cancelled after the main airport was closed.
Crowds of protesters stormed Hasina’s official residence, where they looted furniture, artefacts and stationery. According to local media reports, Hasina escaped minutes before the protesters stormed her residence and left by helicopter for India along with her younger sister, Sheikh Rehana.
In statements to the BBCHer son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, said Hasina left Bangladesh for her safety and has no plans to lead the country again. “She has transformed Bangladesh. When she came to power, it was considered a failed state. Till today, she is considered one of the emerging tigers of Asia,” Wazed Joy said.
The protests that have rocked Bangladesh over the past month began in opposition to a government policy reserving half of civil service jobs for certain groups, but have grown into a general opposition movement against Hasina, who is accused of becoming increasingly authoritarian. Since taking office in 2009, she has been accused of rigging elections and jailing political opponents.
The International Crisis Group reported that at least 300 people have been killed in clashes between the two sides in the past month, most of them “shot dead by police, paramilitaries and members of the ruling Awami League.”
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