Sheikh Hasina Quits, Lands In India As Bangladesh Army Takes Over Amid Massive Protests | Top Points

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule ended on Monday as she fled weeks of deadly protests and landed in India amid the military announcing that it would form an interim government. Since early July, Hasina had sought to quell nationwide protests against her government, but she fled after a brutal day of unrest on Sunday in which nearly 100 people died.

In a broadcast to the nation on state television, Bangladesh’s army chief Waker-Uz-Zaman said on Monday that Hasina had resigned and the military would form an interim government. “The country has suffered a lot, the economy has been hit, many people have been killed — it is time to stop the violence,” Waker said. “I hope after my speech, the situation will improve.”

Here are the latest updates on the situation in Bangladesh:

• Amid the ongoing crisis in Bangladesh, PM Modi, EAM Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman are held a meeting at the PM’s residence regarding security concerns. Earlier, Jaishankar also briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the situation in the neighbouring country.
• According to sources, it has been learnt that Jaishankar is likely to make a statement in Parliament tomorrow about the situation in Bangladesh.
• Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in Parliament House on Monday and discussed the development in Bangladesh, Congress sources said. He asked him few questions about the arrival of Sheikh Hasina. The EAM in reply said that the Indian government is monitoring the situation and at an opportune time the details would be officially communicated.
• Sheikh Hasina landed in India before heading to London. According to sources, Hasina might stay in India till she gets asylum from the UK.
• Hasina, 76, fled the country by helicopter, shortly after protesters had stormed her palace in Dhaka. She is likely to head to London via India. She is expected to land in Delhi and spend a night in the national capital, sources informed.
• Jubilant crowds had waved flags, some dancing on top of a tank in the streets on Monday morning before hundreds broke through the gates of Hasina’s official residence. Bangladesh’s Channel 24 broadcast images of crowds running into the compound, waving to the camera as they celebrated. Others smashed a statue of Hasina’s father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s independence hero.
• Before the protesters had stormed the compound, Hasina’s son urged the country’s security forces to block any takeover. “Your duty is to keep our people safe and our country safe and to uphold the constitution,” her son, US-based Sajeeb Wazed Joy, said in a post on Facebook. “It means don’t allow any unelected government to come in power for one minute, it is your duty.”
• Security forces had supported Hasina’s government throughout the unrest, which began last month against civil service job quotas then escalated into wider calls for her to stand down.
• At least 94 people were killed on Sunday, including 14 police officers, in the deadliest day of the unrest. Protesters and government supporters countrywide battled each other with sticks and knives, and security forces opened fire. The day’s violence took the total number of people killed since protests began in early July to at least 300.

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