Bangladesh Prime Minister resigns and flees
For days, Bangladesh has been witnessing bloody protests. Now, demonstrators have stormed the government palace. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has reportedly stepped down and fled to India. She didn't have time to address the nation.
Protesters critical of the government in Bangladesh stormed the official residence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Television footage showed thousands of people entering the government palace in the capital, Dhaka. The prime minister had reportedly left the premises earlier. The army declared that Hasina had stepped down. Media reports suggest she fled to India.
Footage broadcast by Channel 24 showed protesters pouring into Hasina's palace, then celebrating and waving at cameras. Earlier, the news agency AFP reported that Hasina and her sister had left for a "safer location." She had intended to record a speech but didn't get the chance.
Hasina has been facing mass protests and calls for her resignation since last month, with incidents of violence resulting in at least 300 deaths, including 94 on Sunday alone.
Amid the tense situation, Hasina's son had earlier urged security forces to prevent any coup attempt against his mother. "Your duty is to ensure the safety of our people and our country and uphold the constitution," Sajeeb Wazed Joy said on the online network Facebook.
The mass demonstrations began in July as protests against a quota system for public service jobs, which critics say favors Hasina's supporters. The demand for the prime minister's resignation and her cabinet's has since grown. Supporters now include people from all walks of life, as well as film stars, musicians, and former generals.
The demonstrators celebrated outside the government palace after reports surfaced that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had fled to India. Despite her resignation, calls for her elimination from political office continue to resonate among protesters in Bangladesh.
