DHAKA — Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh resigned on Monday and left the country, multiple sources reported, amid escalating violence that has claimed more lives than any other unrest since the nation’s independence over five decades ago.
In a televised address, Army Chief General Waker-Us-Zaman announced that the 76-year-old Hasina had departed the country and an interim government would be established.
Media outlets reported that Hasina had boarded a military helicopter with her sister, heading to India. CNN News 18 reported her arrival in Agartala, the capital of India’s northeastern state of Tripura.
Reuters has yet to independently verify these reports.
Television footage showed thousands of jubilant people flooding the streets of Dhaka, chanting slogans. Crowds also stormed Hasina’s official residence, Ganabhaban, shouting, pumping their fists, and displaying victory signs.
Visuals from inside the residence showed people carrying away televisions, chairs, and tables from one of the nation’s most secure buildings, as others chanted, “She has fled the country, fled the country.”
Protesters in Dhaka were seen climbing a large statue of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Hasina’s father and independence leader, and chiseling at the head with an axe.
The unrest follows a call by student activists for a march to Dhaka, defying a nationwide curfew to demand Hasina’s resignation. This came a day after violent clashes across the country resulted in nearly 100 deaths. Last month, protests led to the deaths of approximately 150 people.
On Monday, the Daily Star newspaper reported that at least six people were killed in clashes between police and protesters in the Jatrabari and Dhaka Medical College areas. Reuters has not yet verified this report.
The violence began last month when student groups protested against a controversial quota system in government jobs. The demonstrations escalated into a campaign demanding Hasina’s ouster after she secured a fourth consecutive term in January’s election, which was boycotted by the opposition.