Protests in Bangladesh Lead to Sheikh Hasina’s Resignation, Interim Government Formation Expected Today

The army chief General Waker-ul-Zaman, the head of the navy and airforce, and top leaders of several opposition parties, including the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami party, attended the meeting. President Shahabuddin ordered the release of jailed former prime minister and key opposition leader Khaleda Zia, hours after her arch-rival Sheikh Hasina was ousted. General Waker expressed the need to stop the violence, emphasizing the toll it has taken on the country, the economy, and people’s lives.

It is reported that the Bangladesh Army had given a 45-minute ultimatum to the Prime Minister to step down. The ousted Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, met with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval after landing at the Hindon Air Force base in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad, around 30 km from Delhi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been briefed on the situation in Bangladesh by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, with no confirmation yet on whether Mr. Modi will meet Mrs. Hasina.

Mrs. Hasina is expected to leave for London later, where she is seeking political asylum. She had attempted to quell nationwide protests against her government since early July but fled the country after brutal unrest on Sunday, resulting in nearly 100 deaths, bringing the death toll since the anti-government demonstrations began to over 300. The protests initially began in June following student groups’ demands for the scrapping of a controversial quota system in government jobs, which escalated into a movement seeking the end of her rule.