Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina resigned and came to India, the army announced the establishment of an interim government

Bangladesh Army Chief General Waqar-ul-Zaman has announced the establishment of an interim government in the country and said that the protesting students should end their demonstrations and go home.

Shortly before his address, this news came out that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajid has resigned and reached the neighboring country India by military helicopter.

Indian news channel News 18 has reported that the helicopter carrying Sheikh Hasina has landed in the Indian city of Agartala.

The army chief of Bangladesh has said that ‘we are trying to find solutions to the problems of the country.’

General Waqarul Zaman further said that the army has discussed the country’s situation with the representatives of major political parties. We need some time, we will find a solution.’

According to Indian media, India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met Sheikh Hasina Wajid on arrival in New Delhi.

On the other hand, according to Bangladeshi media, the President has issued an order for the release of opposition leader and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia.

According to scenes shown earlier by various Bangladeshi TV channels, the ecstatic protesters waved the country’s flags and celebrated peacefully, including dancing on a tank.

Hasina Wajid’s son has urged the country’s security forces to prevent any takeover of her power.

Sources close to Sheikh Hasina said that she wanted to record the speech but she could not get the opportunity to do so.

According to an official statement, the army chief told officers on Saturday that the army “always stands with the people.”

In Bangladesh A new wave of violence At least 100 people died and hundreds were injured on Sunday. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse tens of thousands of protesters.

More than 200 people died last month in violent protests against the abolition of the quota system in government jobs.

A nationwide curfew has been imposed since Sunday evening, railway services have been suspended and the country’s major garment industry has shut down after this fresh wave of violent protests.

Pakistani High Commissioner in Bangladesh, Syed Ahmed Maruf has said that the Pakistan High Commission is keeping a close eye on the changing situation and the safety of Pakistani citizens is the highest priority of the High Commission.

High Commissioner Syed Ahmed Maruf said in a statement issued late on Sunday night from Dhaka that the officials of the High Commission are also in contact with the authorities of Bangladesh. Students are also being continuously informed about the changing situation.

According to the High Commissioner: ‘As the situation started to deteriorate, the students were asked to reach the High Commission immediately, and those who could not be contacted by telephone.’

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He has asked the Pakistani students to ‘restrict themselves to their rooms and keep themselves away from the current situation. One third of the 144 students studying in Bangladesh have already reached Pakistan while a few more students are leaving for Pakistan today.

Commissioner Syed Ahmed Maruf said that some of the students left in Bangladesh have reached the High Commission. The High Commission is in constant touch with the students and will continue to take all possible measures to ensure their safety.

Bangladesh has been gripped by protests and violence that began last month after student groups demanded an end to a controversial quota system in government jobs, according to Reuters.

Firefighters try to put out a fire at a garment shop allegedly set on fire by a protest group in Dhaka on August 4, 2024 (AFP)

At least 13 policemen were among the dead on Sunday, the highest single-day death toll in any protest in Bangladesh’s recent history.

The government also announced a three-day public holiday from Monday.

The leader of the protest movement, Asif Mahmood, said in a statement on Facebook on Sunday night that the government has killed many students. Time for the final answer. Everyone arrived in Dhaka, especially from the surrounding districts. Come to Dhaka and take a position on the streets.’

Bangladesh Army urges people to abide by curfew rules.

The army said in a statement that ‘Bangladesh army will fulfill its promise according to the country’s constitution and existing laws. In this regard, the public is requested to abide by the curfew and at the same time give full cooperation for this purpose.

Protesters block the Shah Bagh intersection during a protest in Dhaka on August 4, 2024 (AFP)

The government has shut down mobile phone service and the internet to contain the unrest, and access to Facebook and messaging apps, including WhatsApp, is not possible.

Junior Minister of Information and Broadcasting Muhammad Ali Arafat said on Sunday that various services have been suspended to help prevent violence.

Last month, students had started a protest demanding an end to the quota system in government jobs, which later turned violent.

Amid the fresh wave of violence, Sheikh Hasina said that the protesters involved in ‘vandalism’ and destruction were no longer students but criminals. He said that people should deal with them with iron hands.

The ruling Awami League says the demand for the Prime Minister’s resignation shows that the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the now-banned Jamaat-e-Islami have taken over the protests.

The protesters called for ‘non-cooperation’ with the government, urging people not to pay taxes or utility bills and not to come to work on Sunday, which is a working day in Bangladesh. Offices, banks and factories opened but commuters in Dhaka and other cities faced difficulties in getting to work.

Meanwhile, the head of the country’s army has said that the army has always stood with the people and will continue to do so in the future.

Bangladeshi soldiers disembark from armored vehicles patrolling the streets to disperse anti-quota protesters in Dhaka on July 20, 2024 (AFP)

After the protests, some former army officers joined the student movement, while former Army Chief General Iqbal Karim turned his Facebook profile picture red in support of the protests.

Current Army Chief General Waqar-ul-Zaman, while talking to officers at the military headquarters in Dhaka on Saturday, said that ‘Bangladesh Army is a symbol of the people’s trust.’

A statement issued by the army said: ‘The army has always stood with the people and will continue to do so for the sake of the people and in the need of the state.’

The statement did not give further details and it was not clear whether the army was supporting the protest movement.

The army briefly restored order with a curfew, but this week protesters returned to the streets in large numbers in a non-cooperation movement aimed at paralyzing the government.