Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina resigns, flees country after protests

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned following weeks of intense anti-government protests, during which thousands stormed her official residence demanding her departure.

At 76, Ms. Hasina had already departed to a “safer place,” according to one of her advisers, before the crowds reached her palace.

Her resignation came a day after a new wave of demonstrations resulted in at least 90 deaths and hundreds of injuries. The protests, which initially started with a call to abolish quotas in civil service jobs, have evolved into a widespread anti-government movement.

On Monday, Dhaka was heavily barricaded with army units and police deployed throughout the city. The internet was temporarily shut down and a three-day “holiday”—interpreted as a curfew—was declared, closing businesses and courts.

Despite these measures, tens of thousands of people converged on the city in response to a call by protest leaders for a “long march to Dhaka,” fueled by anger over the recent fatalities, mostly protesters.

Clashes saw both police and supporters of the ruling party firing live ammunition at demonstrators, while tear gas and rubber bullets were also used.

On Sunday, 13 police officers were killed in an attack on a police station in Sirajganj, with two more officers succumbing to their injuries the following day.

The total death toll from the unrest, predominantly protesters shot by security forces, has now reached approximately 300.

Reports indicate that mobile operators were ordered by the government to shut off 4G services on Monday.

The country is “again in the midst of a near-total national internet shutdown after earlier social media and mobile cuts”, said NetBlocks, a watchdog that monitors internet freedom.

On 18 July, the Bangladeshi government had also switched off the country’s mobile internet in an attempt to quell the protests. Broadband connectivity was restored a week later, while mobile internet services came back online days after.

But neither the internet blackout nor an indefinite nationwide curfew imposed on Sunday have hindered the protesters across Bangladesh.

On Monday, thousands of protesters started marching in Uttara, a suburb of Dhaka, chanting and demanding Ms Hasina’s resignation – under the watchful eye of army personnel and police officers who have been stationed across various points in the capital.

Amid calls for her resignation, Ms Hasina initially sounded defiant. Speaking after a meeting with security chiefs on Monday, she said the protesters were “not students but terrorists who are out to destabilise the nation”.

On Sunday, Law and Justice Minister Anisul Huq told the BBC’s Newshour programme that authorities were showing “restraint”.

“If we had not shown restraint, there would have been a bloodbath. I guess our patience has limits,” he added.

Deaths and injuries have also been reported across the country, including the northern districts of Bogra, Pabna and Rangpur.

On Sunday, thousands of people gathered in a main square in Dhaka and there were violent incidents in other parts of the city.

“The whole city has turned into a battleground,” a policeman, who asked not to be named, told the AFP news agency. He said a crowd of several thousand protesters had set fire to cars and motorcycles outside a hospital.

Asif Mahmud, a leading figure in the nationwide civil disobedience campaign, called on protesters to march on Dhaka on Monday.

“The time has come for the final protest,” he said.

Students Against Discrimination, the group leading the anti-government demonstrations, has urged people to refrain from paying taxes or utility bills. Additionally, they have called for the shutdown of all factories and public transport.

In the past two weeks, security forces have reportedly detained around 10,000 people, including opposition supporters and students, in a significant crackdown.

Support for the student movement has come from some ex-military personnel, including former army chief General Karim Bhuiyan, who urged the government to withdraw armed forces from the streets immediately.

He and other ex-military personnel have condemned the “egregious killings, torture, disappearances, and mass arrests.”

The protests began last month when students took to the streets over a quota that reserved one-third of civil service jobs for relatives of veterans of Bangladesh’s 1971 independence war with Pakistan.

Although the government has scaled back most of the quota following a Supreme Court ruling, students continue to protest, demanding justice for those killed and injured and calling for Ms. Hasina to step down.

Earlier, Ms. Hasina offered unconditional dialogue with the student leaders.

“I want to sit with the agitating students of the movement and listen to them. I want no conflict,” she said.

But the student protesters have rejected that offer.

Bangladeshi media say most of those killed in last month’s protests were shot dead by police. Thousands were injured.

The government has argued that police opened fire only in self-defence and to protect state properties.