Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, succumbed to people’s power on Monday as she resigned after weeks of anti-government protests that claimed over 90 lives, and fled the country in a huff.
According to News agency ANI, Army Chief Waker uz Zaman who confirmed the PM’s resignation also announced that an interim government would be formed and will take over power.
The news agency, citing unnamed sources, reported that Sheikh Hasina landed at Hindon Air Base in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad in a C-130 transport aircraft. It added that the aircraft will be parked near the Indian Air Force’s C-17 and C-130J Super Hercules aircraft hangars. The aircraft movement was monitored by Indian Air Force and security agencies from its entry into Indian airspace to Hindon airbase in Ghaziabad, the sources said.
Protesters stormed her official residence on Monday afternoon, reported. TV images showed hundreds of people ransacking the building and taking away chicken, fish and vegetables.
BBC Bangla reported that Sheikh Hasina was heading to Tripura capital in Agartala in India.
Video footage showed protesters vandalising and looting Sheikh Hasina’s official residence ‘Ganabhaban’ in the capital Dhaka. They were seen celebrating on the Ganabjhaban premises waving their hands in the air. Many of them were seen leaving with many belongings of the Ganabhaban.
“I am taking full responsibility,” the Bangladesh Army general said, dressed in military fatigues and cap, although it was not immediately clear if he would head a caretaker government.
“We will form an interim government,” Waker said in a broadcast to the nation on state television, adding that Sheikh Hasina had resigned.
“The country has suffered a lot, the economy has been hit, many people have been killed — it is time to stop the violence,” he added.
“I hope after my speech, the situation will improve.”
He said he would talk to the president to form the interim government and had held talks with the main opposition parties and civil society members — but not Hasina’s Awami League.
The prime minister – who has resigned – earlier left the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka on a helicopter with her sister, according to reports.
Videos on social media showed protesters climbing a statue of Hasina’s father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a 1971 Liberation War hero, in Dhaka and smashing it with hammers.
Her Awami League’s office in Dhanmondi and Dhaka was set on fire by the agitators who chanted anti-government slogans.
The government earlier ordered a complete internet shutdown as protestors asked the general public to join a “Long March to Dhaka”. However, a government agency gave a verbal order to start broadband internet around 1:15 on Monday.