Sheikh Hasina resigns after protesters storm palace, ending 15-year rule

• Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned after 15 years.
• Protests began over a government job quota.
• Hasina’s government blamed opposition parties for the violence.

Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned on Monday, ending 15-year rule, as thousands of protesters defied a military curfew and stormed her official residence.

Officials from the military and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the news anonymously since they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Thousands entered Hasina’s official residence in Dhaka on Monday, following weeks of violent protests and clashes with security forces.

Bangladesh’s military chief, Gen. Waker-uz-Zaman, is expected to address the nation later today.

The protests began peacefully in late June, with students demanding an end to a quota system for government jobs. However, the protests turned violent after clashes between protesters, police, and pro-government activists at Dhaka University.

The government’s attempts to suppress the demonstrations with force, curfews, and Internet shutdowns backfired, leading to more outrage and nearly 300 deaths. This intensified demands for an end to Hasina’s 15-year rule.

On Sunday, almost 100 people were killed as protesters clashed with security officials and ruling party activists across the country.

The protests, initially peaceful, morphed into a major challenge against Hasina and her ruling Awami League party.

On Monday, after a three-hour suspension, both broadband and mobile Internet services were restored.

The military-imposed curfew, which started Sunday night, covered Dhaka and other main areas. The government had previously imposed a curfew with some exceptions in the capital and elsewhere.

The government also declared a holiday from Monday to Wednesday, closed courts indefinitely, and cut off mobile Internet service. Social media platforms, including Facebook and WhatsApp, were inaccessible on Monday.

Bangladesh has previously shut down Internet services in protest-affected areas to suppress dissent. Internet watchdog Access Now recorded three shutdowns in 2023 and six in 2022, all overlapping with opposition rallies.

Hasina, 76, was re-elected for a fourth term in January in an election boycotted by her main opponents, raising questions about the fairness of the vote. Thousands of opposition members were jailed before the polls, which the government defended as democratic.

Her political opponents have accused her of becoming increasingly autocratic and a threat to the country’s democracy. Many now believe the unrest is due to her authoritarian rule and desire for control.

At least 11,000 people have been arrested recently. The unrest also led to the closure of schools and universities, and authorities imposed a shoot-on-sight curfew.

Over the weekend, protesters called for a “non-cooperation” effort, urging people not to pay taxes or utility bills and not to show up for work on Sunday, a working day in Bangladesh. While offices, banks, and factories opened, commuters faced difficulties getting to their jobs.

The protests began last month with students demanding an end to a quota system that reserved 30 percent of government jobs for families of veterans from Bangladesh’s 1971 independence war against Pakistan.

As violence escalated, the Supreme Court ruled to reduce the veterans’ quota to 5 percent, with 93 percent of jobs allocated based on merit. The remaining 2 percent were set aside for ethnic minorities, transgender, and disabled people. The government accepted the decision, but protesters continued to demand accountability for the violence blamed on the government’s use of force.

Hasina’s administration blamed opposition parties and their student wings for instigating the violence, during which several state-owned establishments were torched or vandalized.

Also Read

Bangladesh declares day of mourning for victims of unrest

Bangladesh's government declared a day of mourning for victims of violence amid...