Resignation and Departure of Bangladesh Prime Minister; Army Commander: A Temporary Government Will Be Formed

Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, resigned on Monday, August 6, following months of widespread protests in the country. Some reports suggest she has 'fled' the country. General Wakerul Zaman, the commander of the Bangladesh Army, announced in a televised speech that a temporary government will be formed. Reports indicate that Sheikh Hasina, the 76-year-old Prime Minister who has led the country for 15 years, traveled to India by military helicopter with her sister. While some local media reported the helicopter landed in Agartala, the capital of Tripura state in northeastern India, other reports suggest it landed at a military airport near Delhi. Bangladesh has been engulfed in protests and widespread violence since student protests began in July over job quota issues, escalating into a campaign for Hasina's ouster. Nearly 250 people have been killed and thousands injured in the violence. According to General Zaman, he has had 'fruitful' discussions with leaders from all major political parties and will soon meet with Mohammad Shahabuddin, the President of Bangladesh, to discuss the way forward. General Bakarul Zaman, 58, who was appointed as the army commander earlier this July, called for public trust in the army and promised justice for all 'murders and injustices.' Hasina's 15-year rule has been marked by the arrest of opposition leaders, suppression of free speech, and repression of dissent. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Hasina's father, led Bangladesh's struggle for independence from Pakistan in 1971 and was assassinated in a military coup in 1975 along with most of his family, while Hasina was in Europe at the time and thus survived.