New Delhi: In an unprecedented turn of events, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country amid violent anti-government protests. She has now landed at the Hindon airbase in Ghaziabad, India, as part of her plan to travel to London, multiple diplomatic sources confirmed. Hours after her arrival on a Bangladesh Air Force C-130J military transport aircraft, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met her.
The resignation and military takeover follow intense nationwide protests, which erupted last month against a controversial job quota scheme but have since evolved into a broader anti-government movement. The quota system allocated 30% of civil service jobs to families of veterans from the 1971 liberation war, a policy that sparked widespread student unrest.
Sheikh Hasina, who ruled Bangladesh since 2009, fled the country after brutal clashes over the weekend left nearly 100 people dead. According to sources, her plan was to leave for London, though certain issues have created uncertainty in her travel plans. It is unlikely she will depart India on Monday night.
#Bangladesh PM #SheikhHasina resigns; flees the Country.#BangladeshProtests #BangladeshQuothaMovement #BangladeshBleeding #BangladeshViolence #PiN #TNI #Insight https://t.co/IMPZdNkmfL
— TNI (@TNITweet) August 5, 2024
Her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, has stated that Sheikh Hasina will not return to politics, citing her deep disappointment with the uprising against her leadership. “She has turned Bangladesh around. When she took over power, it was considered a failing state. Until today, it was considered one of the rising tigers of Asia,” Joy told Dhaka Tribune.
Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, who announced Sheikh Hasina’s resignation, said the military would form a caretaker government to maintain law and order. The military also stated that curfews imposed to quell the protests would be lifted at dawn on August 6, allowing offices, factories, schools, and colleges to reopen.
In a significant development, President Mohammed Shahabuddin ordered the release of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, a key opposition leader, from jail. A meeting led by President Shahabuddin, attended by military leaders and top opposition figures, including those from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami, unanimously decided on her release. The meeting also resolved to free all individuals arrested during the recent protests.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the rapidly unfolding situation in Bangladesh. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has remained silent publicly, although internal meetings with military officials and other government members have been ongoing.
India has advised its nationals not to travel to Bangladesh due to the fresh violence. Additionally, border states like Assam and Meghalaya have imposed high alerts and night curfews along the Indo-Bangladesh border to prevent potential infiltration and maintain security. Nepal has also stepped up security along its southern border with India, fearing unauthorized entry from the violence-hit country.
The European Union has called for an “orderly and peaceful” transition to democratic rule in Bangladesh, emphasizing the importance of respecting human rights and democratic principles.
Indian politicians have expressed concerns over the evolving situation. Congress MP Manish Tewari stressed the sensitivity of the situation, while BJD leader Sasmit Patra assured support for the Indian government’s stance on the issue. CPI(M) leader V. Sivadasan attributed the crisis to economic challenges and the government’s authoritarian approach.
Back in Bangladesh, jubilant crowds celebrated Sheikh Hasina’s resignation by looting and vandalizing her official residence in Dhaka. Protesters also destroyed a statue of her father, Mujibur Rahman, and set fire to her party’s offices. The military’s decision to lift the curfew aims to restore normalcy, but the path to stability remains uncertain as the country navigates this political upheaval.