Sheikh Hasina quits Bangladesh after days of violent protests
Image credit X.com
Army steps in for formation of interim govt in Bangladesh
By Manish Anand
New Delhi, August 5: Days of protests on Monday forced Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to quit. Hasina has fled Bangladesh amid intense speculation that she is headed for India. Hasina may eventually take shelter in the UK. The protestors stormed the prime minister’s residence on Monday.
Dramatic turn of events on Monday came after days of protests in Bangladesh. Reports said that the Bangladeshi Army refused to open fire on the protestors.The Bangladesh Army Chief Waker us Zaman made a rare television appearance to announce the formation of an interim government. Reports said that the interim government will be headed by an academician and also consisting of a cross-section of professionals, including retired army personnel.
Also Read: BJP, Congress eye sub-division of identity politics
The video footage of Hasina leaving in an army helicopter has gone viral on the social media platforms. The Bangladesh Army has reportedly reached out to a number of Opposition parties for the formation of an interim government. The Bangladesh National Party (BNP), the Jatiya Party, the Jamat-e-Islami, and others are backing the formation of the interim government. Hasina had only a few weeks ago won the national election. She had been in power for 15 years. Hasina had come to power in 2009 after the military rule since 2007 ended in elections in the Islamic nation.
The US-led western world had questioned the national election in Bangladesh. The main Opposition party had boycotted the national election.Trouble started for Hasina after the High Court ordered 30 per cent reservation in government jobs for the descendents of the people who had fought for the independence from Pakistan in the 1971 War. The students led the protest, with Dhaka University becoming the nerve centre.
Watch: Bangladesh Violence I शेख हसीना की कठिन परीक्षा I भारत के लिए चिंता का विषय I
The protestors organised a ‘Long Dhaka March’, which culminated in Hasina quitting and fleeing from Bangladesh. Earlier, 98 people were killed in violence on Sunday.Hasina had asked the workers of the Awami League to take to the street. The skirmishes with the student protestors and the consequent police firing led to the spiral in violence.
The Supreme Court had overturned the High Court order for 30 per cent reservation, reverting back to the existing 10 per cent quota. But the situation didn’t return to normalcy. The brief restoration of the internet was short-lived.
The government had re-imposed the internet suspension on Sunday. The protestors had been calling Hasina “dictator”, while asking for her resignation. Bangladesh observers argued that Hasina erred by calling protestors “Razakars”. The Bengali Muslims who had supported the Pakistani Army in 1971 were described as ‘Razakars’.
About The Author
