Following the crisis that erupted from the protests in Bangladesh, the country’s prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, has resigned from her duties.
There was no official confirmation about Hasina quitting and leaving Dhaka.
According to media reports, Hasina, 76, and her sister earlier took a military mission to India’s eastern state of West Bengal.
A crowd of protesters stormed her official residence in the capital, Dhaka, with a shout despite a curfew and internet clampdown.
However, the country’s army chief, Waker-uz-Zaman, revealed that an interim government would be formed soon.
Speaking in a nationwide broadcast, the army chief said he would meet with President Mohammed Shahabuddin and that they would find a “solution” by the end of the day.
The army chief also revealed that he has communicated with opposition political parties in the country.
However, it is still unclear who will head the government.
Reports disclose that the anti-government protesters lost their lives; at least 90 people died on Sunday during an exchange between the police and protesters.
This led to an upsurge in the death toll in recent weeks to more than 300.
The student protest began in July with calls to scrap civil service job quotas but shifted into demands for Hasina to quit after over two decades in power.
Hasina has been Bangladesh’s leader since 2009.
Following her resignation, Happy crowds entered the streets of Bangladesh to celebrate the departure of long-term Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
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Why Did Hasina run to India?
According to reports, the “safe place” Sheikh Hasina ran to India, the closest country to Bangladesh.
Over the years, India was her biggest ally, and both countries share diplomatic ties.
Bangladesh shares borders with some northeastern Indian states, which have been struggling with militancy over the years, but a friendly regime for Dhaka has eliminated the problem.
During her time in power, Hasina faced down anti-India militant groups in Bangladesh, and she won friends for Delhi.
She also gave transit rights to India to make sure goods from the mainland got to those states.
Hasina has maintained close ties with India since her first election in 1996, justifying Dhaka’s close relationship with Delhi.
During one visit to India in 2022, she reminded the people of Bangladesh of how the Indian government and armed forces helped the country during the independence war in 1971.
However, her closeness to Delhi – and India support has been criticized by the opposition parties and activists.
Why did the Bangladesh Protest happen in the first place?
The protests kicked off last month when students stormed the streets because of a controversial quota system that reserved 30 per cent of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s War of Independence in 1971.
A ruling reversed the quota, but the students remained unrelenting and continued their protest.
They demanded justice for the at least 90 people who have lost their lives in these protests.
They also demanded that the prime minister step down from power.
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