Bangladesh army in interim government after PM Sheikh Hasina resigns
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The news: Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India following weeks of escalating protests that resulted in approximately 250 deaths and thousands of injuries.
Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced Hasina’s resignation and the formation of an interim government in a televised address on Monday.
The numbers: Media reports said Hasina, who had ruled since 2009 and previously from 1996 to 2001, and her sister fled to Agartala, India.
The resignation followed the deadliest day of protests on Sunday, with nearly 100 fatalities reported from clashes between security forces and demonstrators across the country.
The context: The South Asian nation remains under a nationwide curfew, with railway services suspended and garment factories, the largest driver of Bangladesh’s economy, closed.
Jubilant crowds in Dhaka stormed Hasina’s residence, taking furnishings and defacing a statue of her father, the country’s founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
The protests were initially sparked by student opposition to a quota system for government jobs.
What they said: "The country is going through a revolutionary period," said Zaman, who took over as army chief only on June 23.
"We request you to have faith in the army of the country. I take full responsibility and I assure you to not get disheartened," he said.
"I request you all to be a little patient, give us some time and together we will be able to solve all the problems," Zaman said. "Please don't go back to the path of violence and please return to non-violent and peaceful ways."
The sources: Reuters, The New York Times
