Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina resigns and leaves country as protesters storm palace

Nokusa Masuku

Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned on Monday as thousands of protesters defied a military curfew and stormed her official residence.

Army chief Waker-Us-Zaman said in a televised address that Hasina had left the country and that an interim government would be formed. Waker’s announcement comes after more than 90 people were killed on Sunday in the deadliest day of violence in anti-government demonstrations that began in July.

Protesters and government supporters countrywide battled each other with sticks and knives, and security forces opened fire.

Her government was accused by rights groups of misusing state institutions to entrench its hold on power and stamp out dissent, including through the extrajudicial killing of opposition activists.

Demonstrations began over the reintroduction of a quota scheme that reserved more than half of all government jobs for certain groups. The protests escalated despite the scheme having been scaled back by Bangladesh’s top court.