Amidst severe unrest and violent protests that have rocked Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has fled the country. Indian security agencies are tracking a C-130 aircraft, identified as AJAX1431, which was spotted near the Bangladesh-India border and is reportedly heading towards Delhi. The plane is believed to be carrying Sheikh Hasina and members of her entourage. This news comes after weeks of escalating protests that began over civil service job quotas and quickly broadened into calls for Hasina’s resignation. The unrest reached a deadly peak on Sunday, with at least 94 people killed, including 14 police officers, in clashes between protesters and security forces. The total death toll since the protests began in early July has risen to over 300.
Following the chaos and violence, the Bangladesh military has announced the establishment of an interim government. General Waker-Uz-Zaman, the army chief, declared on state television that Hasina has resigned and the military will take control. Protesters defied curfews and stormed Hasina’s residence in Gono Bhaban, Dhaka, further escalating the situation.
Security has been heightened outside the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi in response to the turmoil. Ironically, the Bangladesh military declared an emergency in January 2007, following widespread political unrest, and installed a military-backed caretaker government for two years. Sheikh Hasina subsequently ruled Bangladesh from 2009 and won her fourth consecutive election in January after a vote without genuine opposition. However, her 15-year rule came to an abrupt end on Monday as she fled Dhaka in the face of the escalating unrest. The future of Bangladesh remains uncertain as the military takes control in the aftermath of the violent protests.
