Late yesterday evening, Bangladeshi President Mohammed Shahabuddin presided over a critical meeting regarding the establishment of a military-backed caretaker government. The session was attended by key military figures, including Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, as well as the heads of the navy and airforce. Prominent opposition leaders, including those from the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami, were also present.
General Waker-Uz-Zaman is scheduled to engage with student protest leaders as the nation awaits the formation of the new interim government. These student leaders, who initially rallied against job quota policies and later called for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation, are now advocating for Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus to serve as the interim government’s chief advisor.
In a national address yesterday, General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and the Army’s plan to establish an interim government. “The country has endured much hardship; the economy has suffered, and many lives have been lost. It is time to end the violence,” declared the General.
Sheikh Hasina, who had begun her fifth term earlier this year, was reportedly given a 45-minute ultimatum to resign. Following her resignation, the 76-year-old Prime Minister left Dhaka on a military aircraft, accompanied by her sister, Sheikh Rehana, and headed to India. After landing at the Hindon Air Force base in Uttar Pradesh, Sheikh Hasina met with India’s National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval. Reports suggest she is expected to travel to London shortly to seek political asylum.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been updated on the situation by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, though it remains unclear whether Mr. Modi will meet with Sheikh Hasina.
In response to the unrest, Western powers have urged for calm in Bangladesh. The United States has called for an end to the violence, while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has advocated for a “peaceful, orderly, and democratic transition.”
Sheikh Hasina’s attempts to address nationwide protests, which began in July over a contentious quota system in government jobs, failed to quell the unrest. The violence that erupted on Sunday, which resulted in nearly 100 deaths, has brought the total number of fatalities in the anti-government demonstrations to over 300.
