Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina Resigns, Flees To India On Helicopter
As protests in Bangladesh demand the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, reports have emerged that she has fled the capital Dhaka, along with her sister.
A source close to the Prime Minister shared that Sheikh Hasina and her sister have relocated from their official residence, Ganabhaban, to a safer location, NDTV reports.
The Prime Minister was scheduled to deliver a speech but was unable to proceed due to the growing unrest
Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of protesters, defying the curfew, marched through the streets of Dhaka and eventually stormed the Prime Minister’s palace.
Footage showed crowds entering the official residence, celebrating and waving at the camera.
“She and her sister have left Ganabhaban (the Prime Minister’s official residence) for a safer place,” the source told AFP.
“She wanted to record a speech. But she could not get an opportunity to do that,” the source said.
In Dhaka, soldiers and police deployed armored vehicles and barbed wire to block routes to Prime Minister Hasina’s office, but hundreds of thousands of protesters overwhelmed the barriers, flooding the streets. Local media estimated the crowd size at around 400,000, although this figure is unverified.
The protests have turned deadly, with 98 people killed in Sunday’s clashes, bringing the total death toll since demonstrations began last month to over 300. Amidst the unrest, Bangladesh’s army chief, Waker-Uz-Zaman, is expected to address the nation.
Ms Hasina’s son urged the country’s security forces to block any takeover from her rule, while a senior advisor told AFP that her resignation was a “possibility” after being questioned as to whether she would quit.
Rallies that began last month against civil service job quotas have escalated into some of the worst unrest of Prime Minister Hasina’s 15-year rule and shifted into wider calls for the 76-year-old to step down.
The demonstrations have grown into a wider anti-government movement across Bangladesh. It has attracted people from all strata of Bangladesh society, including film stars, musicians and singers. Songs calling for people’s support have spread widely on social media.