Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule ended on Monday when she fled the country after weeks of deadly protests, and the military announced it would form an interim government.
Hasina, who had been attempting to quell nationwide protests against her government since early July, left Bangladesh following a particularly violent day on Sunday, during which nearly 100 people were killed.
In a national broadcast on state television, Bangladesh’s army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced Hasina’s resignation and the military’s intention to establish an interim government.
“The country has suffered a lot, the economy has been hit, many people have been killed — it is time to stop the violence,” said General Waker, dressed in military fatigues. “I hope after my speech, the situation will improve.”
General Waker, a career infantryman, mentioned that he would consult with the president to form a caretaker government for the South Asian nation of approximately 170 million people.
It remained unclear if he would lead this interim administration. He also noted that he had spoken with main opposition parties and civil society members, but not Hasina’s Awami League.
Hasina, 76, reportedly fled the country by helicopter after protesters stormed her palace in Dhaka.
An unnamed source close to Hasina informed AFP that she initially left by motorcade before being flown out, though her destination was not disclosed.
On Monday morning, jubilant crowds waved flags and some danced atop a tank in the streets before hundreds broke through the gates of Hasina’s official residence.
Bangladesh’s Channel 24 broadcasted images of the crowds looting furniture and books, and others relaxing on beds.
Additionally, a statue of Hasina’s father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s independence hero, was destroyed by protesters.
Michael Kugelman, director of the South Asia Institute at the Washington-based Wilson Center, cautioned that Hasina’s departure “would leave a major vacuum.”
He stated, “If it’s a peaceful transition, with an interim set-up taking over until elections are held, then stability risks would be modest and the consequences would be limited.
But if there is a violent transition or a period of uncertainty, that could risk more destabilisation and problems inside and outside.”
Despite the protests, Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, urged security forces to prevent any takeover, posting on Facebook, “It means don’t allow any unelected government to come in power for one minute, it is your duty.”
Throughout the unrest, security forces had supported Hasina’s government.
The protests, which began last month over civil service job quotas, escalated into broader calls for Hasina’s resignation.
Sunday’s violence resulted in 94 deaths, including 14 police officers, marking the deadliest day since the protests began.
Protesters and government supporters clashed with sticks and knives, and security forces opened fire, bringing the death toll since early July to at least 300, according to an AFP tally based on police, government officials, and hospital doctors.
The military previously declared an emergency in January 2007, leading to a two-year military-backed caretaker government.
Hasina returned to power in 2009 and won her fourth consecutive election in January, though rights groups accused her government of using state institutions to maintain power and suppress dissent, including through extrajudicial killings of opposition activists.
The protests, initially sparked by the reintroduction of a quota scheme for government jobs, persisted despite its reduction by the country’s top court.
On Monday, soldiers and police with armoured vehicles barricaded routes to Hasina’s office in Dhaka with barbed wire, but vast crowds dismantled the barriers.
The Business Standard newspaper estimated as many as 400,000 protesters on the streets, although this figure was unverified.
“The time has come for the final protest,” declared Asif Mahmud, a key leader in the civil disobedience campaign.
Unlike previous rallies, soldiers and police did not intervene in Sunday’s protests, which culminated in a hugely symbolic rebuke from former army chief General Ikbal Karim Bhuiyan.
He demanded the government “immediately” withdraw troops and allow protests, stating, “Those who are responsible for pushing people of this country to a state of such extreme misery will have to be brought to justice.”
