Prime Minister of Bangladesh resigned and left the country by helicopter
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and left the country on Monday afternoon, ending a 15-year rule that has faced violent opposition in recent months. Hasina's resignation was officially announced in a TV speech by Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, reports The Washington Post. An acting government will be formed in the coming weeks.
The same general announced on Saturday in a statement that the military will "always be with the people". He will lead the interim government, according to local media.
Thousands of protesters stormed Hasina's official residence earlier in the morning, demanding her dismissal. Weeks of bloody clashes between protesters and Hasina's security forces escalated late last week, with dozens killed on Sunday alone. According to local Bangladeshi news agencies, Hasina fled her residence minutes before it was stormed by protesters. He left for India, accompanied by his younger sister Sheikh Rehana, aboard a helicopter, local media reported.
#BREAKING: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has landed in Agartala, the capital city of Indian state of Tripura as per reports. Agartala is the closest Indian city to Dhaka. Below visuals of Sheikh Hasina along with her sister escaping in a Bangladesh Air Force chopper. pic.twitter.com/JqeDS8BnAy
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) August 5, 2024
"She wanted to record a speech. But she couldn't have the opportunity to do it", states a source close to the head of the Government. Hasina's son, Sajeeb Wazed, called on security forces to prevent any takeover. "Your duty is to ensure the security of our people and our country and enforce compliance with the Constitution," he wrote on Facebook.
The eldest daughter of Bangladesh's founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who declared independence from Pakistan in 1971, Sheikh Hasina has been in power since 2009 after a first term in office from 1996-2001.
