Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigns
"We will form an interim government," said the army chief in his televised address. For this, he will speak with the main opposition parties as well as representatives of civil society - but not with Hasina's party. "I take full responsibility," emphasized Waker-Uz-Zaman. He hopes that the situation in the country will now calm down.
Earlier, protesters critical of the government had stormed the government palace in the capital Dhaka. On television, they could be seen celebrating afterwards and waving at the cameras.
At that moment, according to reports from her entourage, Hasina had already left the building towards a "safe location". "Her security team advised her to leave, she had no time to prepare," the news agency AFP learned. Initially, the 76-year-old was taken away in a convoy of vehicles. "Later, she was evacuated by helicopter." The destination of this flight was not initially known.
Hasina was re-elected in January in an election boycotted by a large part of the opposition. Her government has been accused of, among other things, abusing state institutions for its own power retention and suppressing government critics - even to the point of extrajudicial killings of opposition figures.
The Chief of Army Staff will also communicate with the main opposition parties and civil society representatives, as mentioned by him in his address. Following the unrest, the Chief of Army Staff hopes that peace will be restored in the country.
