Bangladesh Prime Minister Resigns Amid Deadly Anti-Government Protests

 Sheikh Hasina, the prime minister of Bangladesh, announced her resignation on Monday, following weeks of violent protests against the government that rocked the country.

General Waker-uz-Zaman, the head of Bangladesh's army, made the statement following demonstrators' seizure of the prime minister's official home in the country's capital, Dhaka. Images showed flames shooting out of cars close to Hasina's residence while authorities battled to control the crowds of people moving into the area. As reported by Reuters, demonstrators were also observed scaling a statue of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the leader of independence and father of Hasina, and hacking away at the statue's head with an axe.

A Newslast7 journalist in Dhaka claims that earlier in the day, there was fighting between the demonstrators and the military and police in the region. At least 91 people were killed in the skirmishes on Sunday, including 13 police officers, and hundreds more were injured. Opponents of the quotas, who claimed they were discriminatory, stoked the rallies with calls to abolish them and for the prime minister to resign.

The number of fatalities from the clashes on Sunday, which were the deadliest in recent memory, exceeded the 67 recorded on July 19 during protests against the quotas. According to a UNICEF assessment, last month's protests claimed the lives of at least 32 youngsters.

The government declared an indefinite statewide curfew over the weekend in response to the turmoil, which extended to cities including Rajshahi, Barisal, and Chittagong. Human rights organizations charged that police had used excessive force against demonstrators; the administration refuted these allegations.

Following Hasina's resignation, General Zaman asked students to uphold peace and declared that the military would establish an interim administration. "We will comply with your requests and restore calm to the country. Please refrain from using violence and assist us in this," Zaman said. He gave orders to the military and police not to shoot on anyone, and he gave his word on that.

Sheikh Hasina

The US embassy in Dhaka issued new travel guidance, urging US citizens to shelter in a safe place and consider returning to their home country due to the "unpredictable and volatile" atmosphere. Dhaka’s main flight hub, Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, was temporarily closed following Hasina’s resignation, according to the Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) state news agency.

Students protesting on Sunday were called "terrorists" who were trying to "destabilize the nation," and Hasina called on the public to put an end to them "with a strong hand." Human rights organizations voiced alarm earlier this year about an increase in political violence after Hasina won a fourth term in the general election. The primary opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, abstained from the election on the grounds that Hasina's administration was moving toward an authoritarian one-party system.

Reactions to Hasina’s resignation were mixed. "Hasina may be gone, but there is still a long road ahead for Bangladesh – until our religious minorities and ethnic minorities are protected and justice comes to them too, the nation is not free," said Khatib Zahin, 28, to Newslast7. Another resident, Arifeen Mahmood Khan, expressed hope: "Let’s be better, stronger, and kinder than we’ve ever been before. Let’s work together to build a better Bangladesh we’ve always dreamed of."

"Brutally Beating" Protesters by the Police

Throughout Monday, there were numerous reports of police brutality. A journalist for Newslast7 reported that police in Dhaka opened fire on demonstrators. One victim of one of the at least four injuries was shot in the head. The Bakshibazar Gate of Dhaka Medical College was allegedly shut by the military, and protesters were subjected to tear gas by police. Protesters and students at the national monument Shaheed Minar and Dhaka University also reported being physically assaulted by police.

A protester claimed to Newslast7 that police had been using tear gas and "brutally beating" demonstrators with bamboo sticks. Video footage confirmed by Newslast7 showed security personnel shooting live bullets into the air close to protesters on the N1 expressway in Dhaka, despite a "near-total national internet shutdown."

Protesters in Dhaka reported that the university campus had been surrounded by armed forces.

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