Sheikh Hasina resigns as Bangladesh Prime Minister, flees to India amid protests

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned and left Dhaka amidst escalating violence and protests. Hasina, along with her sister Sheikh Rehana, departed Ganabhaban, the Prime Minister's official residence, for India around 2:30 pm on Aug 5, using a military helicopter to reach a more secure location.

The army chief General Waker-uz-Zaman held a press conference confirming Hasina's resignation and announced the formation of an interim government to manage the country. The Chief said that the economy has been severely impacted by the ongoing protests.

"I am taking full responsibility," the general said, dressed in military fatigues and a cap, though it was not immediately clear if he would lead a caretaker government. "We will form an interim government," Waker said.

In response to the situation, India's Border Security Force (BSF) has been put on high alert along the 4,096 km border with Bangladesh. Acting BSF Director General Daljit Singh Chawdhary, along with other senior officials, has arrived in Kolkata to review border security measures. The violence has resulted in nearly 300 casualties.

The violence began last month with protests led by student groups against reserved quotas in government jobs, which resulted in at least 150 deaths and thousands of injuries.

The Students Against Discrimination group, which spearheaded the previous protests, is now leading the current demonstrations.

The protests over the quota system had initially paused after the Supreme Court struck down most of the quotas on July 21. However, protests resumed last week with demands for a public apology from Hasina, restoration of internet services, reopening of educational institutions, and the release of arrested individuals.

By the weekend, the protests had escalated into a broader campaign calling for Hasina's resignation, with demonstrators demanding justice for those killed in the previous month’s violence.

The students' group initiated a nationwide non-cooperation movement starting August 4, focusing solely on the demand for Hasina's resignation.

The protesters accuse Hasina's government of causing violence during the quota protests in July, a claim the government denies. Critics and human rights organizations have accused the government of using excessive force against protesters.

Initially, Hasina’s government attributed the violence to the Islamic party Jamaat-e-Islami and the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). However, following renewed violence on Aug 4, Hasina labeled the perpetrators as "terrorists" rather than students, asserting they were intent on destabilizing the nation.

The students' group has rejected Hasina's offer to discuss a resolution to the crisis. The unrest began in June when university protests erupted after the High Court reinstated the quota system for government jobs, reversing a 2018 decision by Hasina's administration to eliminate it.

Although the Supreme Court later suspended the High Court’s order and directed that 93% of jobs be open to merit-based candidates, the unrest has persisted.

Experts suggest that the unrest is also linked to stagnant job growth in the private sector, making public sector jobs more attractive due to their stability and benefits.

The student protests are fueled by high youth unemployment, with nearly 32 million young people unemployed or out of education in a population of 170 million.

Bangladesh's economy, once among the fastest-growing globally due to its thriving garment sector, has faced stagnation. Inflation remains around 10% per annum, and foreign currency reserves are depleting, adding to the country's economic challenges.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been in power in Bangladesh since 2009, securing her fourth consecutive term in January's election, which lacked genuine opposition participation.

Human rights organizations have accused her government of abusing state institutions to consolidate power and suppress dissent, including through extrajudicial killings of opposition activists.