Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday resigned and left the country for a “safer place”, reportedly India’s West Bengal, as thousands of protesters stormed the streets of capital Dhaka and entered her official residence.
The development comes a day after some 90 people were killed and dozens others were wounded in some of the worst violence the country has seen since its birth in 1971.
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Hasina departed from Bangabhaban at around 2:30 pm on Monday on a military helicopter, accompanied by her younger sister, Sheikh Rehana for a “safer place”, according to Bangladesh media reports.
The protesters opened the gates of the Gono Bhaban and entered the premises of the prime minister’s residence around 3:00 pm, minutes after she left the country.
Shortly after she left, Bangaladeshi Army chief General Waker-Us-Zaman said in a televised address that Hasina 76, had left the country and that an interim government would be formed.
“After holding a fruitful discussion with all political parties, we have decided to form an interim government. We will speak with President Mohammed Shahabuddin now to resolve the situation,” he said.
Urging protesters to halt the violence, the Army Chief promised that the new government “will ensure justice for all the deaths that took place during the Anti-Discriminatory Student Movement.”
The protests, which initially began as a student-led movement against civil service quotas, has turned into a nationwide uprising against PM Hasina and her government.
The development comes in the wake of violent clashes on Sunday, which left at least 90 people dead, including 13 police officers, and hundreds more injured.
The violence has prompted the government to impose an indefinite nationwide curfew in a bid to restore order. Internet services were also cut off for several hours.
Since July, the anti-quota protests in Bangladesh have claimed the lives of at least 280 people as demonstrations have spiralled into broader anti-government agitation.
