NVI News Bureau
Dhaka/New Delhi, Aug 05(NVI) : In a sudden turn of developments, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned quietly and fled the country today amidst increasing violence and bloodshed triggered by the anti-reservation protests by students launched several weeks back.
Hasina, who had been ruling the country continuously for the last 15 years, literally escaped death, along with her sister, as they were airlifted from the Prime Ministerial residence in Dhaka in a helicopter just minutes before thousands of violent protesters stormed the premises and ransacked it.
The daughter of Bangladesh’s founder Sheikh Mujib-ur Rehman headed for an onward journey to India for a safe refuge.
She landed at Hindon Air base on the outskirts of Delhi in the evening but it was not clear whether she would be staying in India only or move on to some other nation.
Her sudden departure came after weeks of anti-government protests and a spiral of violence in which more than 300 people were killed.
Soon after Hasina’s helicopter flew away from the PM residence, the military stepped in, with the Chief of Army Staff General Wakar Uz Zaman, flanked by the Chiefs of Air Force and Navy, stating in a televised address that they would form an Interim government in consultation with all parties as Hasina had resigned and left.
“I am taking the full responsibility. We will form an interim government,” Gen Zaman said, adding that he had already talked to the President of Bangladesh regarding this.
He said he had held talks with the main opposition parties and civil society members, but not Hasina’s Awami League.
Stressing that Hasina had given up power, he said the protests should end now and normalcy restored.
“I hope after my speech, the situation will improve…. The country has suffered a lot, the economy has been hit, many people have been killed, it is time to stop the violence,” the Army Chief said.
Before Hasina’s resignation, lakhs of protesters defied curfew and marched on the streets of Dhaka with the intent to storm the Prime Minister’s house.
After breaking into the premises, the jubiliant protesters were seen inside a bedroom and in other parts of the complex, waving flags and chanting slogans.
Protests in the country started a months ago over controversial governmental job quotas. They soon morphed into a nationwide unrest and into an unprecedented uprising against Hasina and her ruling Awami League party. (News Vibes of India)
