Hasina flees

Sheikh Hasina resigned and left the country for an unknown destination Monday amid a mass upsurge that left over 300 people killed, thousands injured and 12,000 arrested over a job quota reform movement.

In a video footage, she was seen being escorted to a black car in an unspecified Indian airport, blades of a military helicopter still spinning nearby.

Quoting unnamed sources, Indian media reported Hasina landed at Hindon Air Base near Delhi in a C-130 transport aircraft. The aircraft was parked near the Indian Air Force's C-17 and C-130J Super Hercules aircraft hangars.

Sheikh Hasina will spend a few days in Delhi before heading towards London, the Indian media said quoting unnamed sources.

This is her third landing in Delhi in two months, previous two as the prime minister and the latest one after her unceremonial resignation.

Chief of Army Staff General Wakar-uz-Zaman announced her resignation and formation of an interim government within the shortest possible time. He also promised trial of each and every killing in the three-week movement demanding her resignation.

As a mass upsurge was building with participation of people from all walks of life, army chief sat with his rank and file on Saturday and carried a message to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that troops are unwilling to shoot and kill people.

Sources said Hasina asked for one day and tried to face the situation by engaging her party men. The next day Awami League activists were seen taking to the streets and attacking the protesters in Dhaka and several other districts, causing 100 more deaths that took the tally to over 300 since 15 July when a Rangpur student Abu Sayed was killed by police and video of which spread all over.

The killing of over 200 people, many of whom were in their teens on 18-20 July took the agitating students to one point demand – her resignation.

Finally, it came on 5 August.

Even before the army chief announced her resignation around 4pm on Monday, people took over Ganabhaban, her official residence as prime minister for 15 years – rerunning the scenes in Sri Lankan presidential palace in 2022.

The storming into Ganabhaban was followed by attacks to Prime Minister's Office, Sangsad Bhaban, Bangabandhu Bhaban at Dhanmondi 32, Awami League's central office on Bangabandhu Avenue, Chief Justice's residence, a number of police stations and houses of ministers, MPs and Awami League leaders.

Similar attacks were carried out across the country as there was no governance or policing after her resignation was announced. Attacks were more in the areas where police or BGB actions took place even on the last morning of her rule.

During the announcement by the army chief, tens of thousands of people were rejoicing at Shahbagh, where they gathered for hours, for the news of victory of their one-point demand – resignation of Hasina's government.

It was history made by students just in a little over a month since they started their protest demanding reforms in job quota on 1 July. The movement faced massive use of force by law enforcers, causing deaths and arrests, gaining momentum every day and turning into a popular movement of students and people.

It reached its peak and brought the fall of the regime on 5 August – a day now marked as "36 July" in student protesters' own calendar as they extended the deadliest month of Bangladesh's history in their countdown for final victory.

Hasina's resignation and fleeing marked the end of a glorious past of the 74-year political party Awami League, which fought for democracy during Pakistani rule and led the 1971 Liberation War into victory under the leadership of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, her father.

It is the same month when the country's independence leader was assassinated in 1975 with most of the members of his family. Sheikh Hasina, who survived along with her sister Sheikh Rehana, took over the party's helm and led to power first in 1996.

Sheikh Rehana who had been abroad returned to Bangladesh on Sunday and accompanied Hasina in the helicopter leaving Bangladesh.

Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy said there would be no political comeback for his mother.

"She is so disappointed that after all her hard work, a minority rose up against her," he said.

Speaking to Newshour on the BBC World Service, Joy – who was an official adviser of the prime minister – said his mother had been considering resigning since yesterday and had left the country for her own safety after her family insisted.

Sheikh Hasina, who had returned to Bangladesh in 1981 after a six-year exile following the assassination of Bangabandhu, led her party to power in 1996.

She became prime minister again in 2008 and renewed her term thrice through disputed general elections, last one on 7 January 2024 boycotted by major parties.