Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and left the country on Monday afternoon as lakhs of protestors hit the streets of Dhaka, calling for her ouster as the head of the country. Soon after the visuals of the former PM exiting the country surfaced, a set of protesters stormed ‘Gana Bhavan’ and vandalised the PM’s residence. The country’s Army has announced the formation of an interim government, adding the move was not a “coup”.
The resignation came amidst the ongoing protests in all districts of Bangladesh, under the banner of Students Against Discrimination, who had planned a ‘Long March to Dhaka’ for Monday, August 5. On August 3, protestors gathered across Bangladesh and formalised a ‘One Point Demand’ – the resignation of the current Awami League government, in power for the last 15 years. The decision came after 91 people were killed and several injured in countrywide protests a day before, on August 2, as per AFP. At least 300 people have died since July 16, per official records.
The protestors, according to a post shared on the personal Facebook account of a student leader, did not welcome the army’s interim government. A statement was released on behalf of two student leaders, designated as ‘coordinators’ of Students Against Discrimination, Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud.
