DHAKA: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country on Monday, ending 15 years in power, as thousands of protesters defied a nationwide curfew and stormed her official residence.
In a televised address, Bangladeshi military chief Waker-Uz-Zaman announced that he had taken over at a “critical moment for our country” and confirmed that Hasina had left Dhaka for a “place of safety”, as local media reported that her initial destination was neighbouring India.
“Now I take responsibility and we will go to the president and ask him to form an interim government that will lead the country in the meantime,” he said.
Zaman said the army would withdraw and an investigation would be launched into the bloody crackdown that has fueled anti-government outrage.
“Have faith in the army, we will investigate all the killings and punish those responsible… I have ordered that no army or police will indulge in shooting,” he said.
“Now, the students' duty is to keep calm and help us.”
After the army confirmed Hasina's resignation, thousands of people took to the streets of the capital in jubilation and shouted slogans. Television footage showed mobs storming Hasina's official residence in the capital, raising fists, making victory signs and clearing away furniture and other household items.
Hasina had ruled Bangladesh since 2009 and was elected to a fourth consecutive term in January following a boycott by her main opponents, raising concerns about the freedom and fairness of the vote.
She was forced to leave after weeks of protests that began peacefully but turned into deadly clashes with security forces, resulting in communications blackouts, a curfew and around 300 deaths.
Students had led previous protests, which began in July to demand reforms to the quota system for government jobs, which the Supreme Court eventually scaled back. But as demonstrations turned deadly and authorities attempted to quell the violence with force, the movement morphed into a campaign to oust Hasina.
At least 11,000 people have been arrested in recent weeks and unrest has led to the closure of schools and universities across the country, while authorities have imposed a shoot-on-sight curfew.
Student activists marched to Dhaka on Monday, defying the latest curfew, to press for Hasina's resignation. This comes after about 100 people, including more than a dozen police officers, were killed on Sunday in a new wave of deadly clashes across the country.
“SECOND REVOLUTION”
Hasina, 76, has been one of the world’s longest-serving female leaders and has played a pivotal role in the politics of Bangladesh, a nation of about 170 million people that declared independence in 1971.
She is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country's charismatic founding leader, who was killed in a 1975 military coup when Ms Hasina was 28. She served as prime minister from 1996 to 2001 and regained power in 2009.
Under his leadership, Bangladesh has become one of the fastest growing economies in the region: World Bank estimates show that more than 25 million people in the country have been lifted out of poverty over the past two decades.
But critics say she has become increasingly autocratic and call her a threat to the country's democracy, with many also saying the recent unrest reflects broader discontent with her rule.
“Bengalis have witnessed the second revolution in their history, 52 years after independence,” Prof. ASM Amanullah, professor of sociology at Dhaka University, told Arab News.
Amanullah said that the students had demanded a “total reform” of the country and that all the institutions of the nation were corrupt, and that the government of the last 15 years was to blame.
“It's people power. It's a voice for the rest of the world. It's a voice for the rest of the Indian subcontinent,” Amanullah said.
“If you work against your people, whoever you are, you will not survive in the long term.”
