Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, 76, has resigned and fled the country following anti-government protests that have resulted in hundreds of deaths.
Reports indicate that she and her sister were evacuated by army helicopter. Hasina’s current location is unclear, but she is believed to be heading to India.
Huge crowds of protesters stormed her official residence in Dhaka despite a curfew and internet blackout.
At least 90 people were killed in clashes between police and protesters on Sunday, raising the recent death toll to over 300. This violence marks some of the worst the South Asian country has experienced since its independence in 1971.
The unrest began in July with demands to abolish civil service job quotas but escalated into calls for Hasina’s resignation after more than two decades in power.
Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, who was an official adviser until today, told the BBC that his mother had been contemplating resignation for a while and left the country for her safety after family insistence.
Joy defended his mother’s record, stating: “She has turned Bangladesh around. When she came to power, it was considered a failing state. Today, it is seen as one of Asia’s rising tigers. She’s very disappointed.”
He also rejected accusations of government overreach in handling protests, saying, “You’ve had policemen beaten to death—13 just yesterday. What do you expect the police to do when mobs are attacking people?”
The protests have claimed hundreds of lives, mostly among demonstrators.
– BBC News
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