Bangladesh COUP underway as PM flees country and protesters storm palace after nearly 100 killed in bloody clashes
BANGLADESH’S leader has resigned and fled the country in a military helicopter.
Thousands of rioters have stormed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s official residence in Dhaka today after weeks of protests.
The deadly student demonstrations against the government have seen hundreds of protesters killed by police and a public curfew.
Hasina has now resigned and fled the country in a military helicopter for India.
Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman said the army is going to request the formation of an interim government after consulting political parties.
Protests against government job quotas have rocked the country for weeks, leaving many dead.
At least 95 people, including at least 14 police officers, were killed in clashes on Sunday, according to local news, with hundreds more injured.
On Sunday the internet had been cut in the country but connectivity returned Monday.
The government had heavily limited it over the course of the protests as it sought to cut the protesters off from each other.
Neighbour India has issued a “high alert” along its border with the nation of 170m people.
Why were there anti-government protests in Bangladesh?
Student demonstrations began last month with protesters demanding how government jobs are distributed.
An old quota system gave families of independence war veterans with Pakistan and other groups preference of the coveted government jobs.
The students said unfair system should change, with the government and its supporters initially trying to crush the protests.
Bangladesh, a former British colony, is one of the least developed countries but has a population of 171m people.
The protests became widespread and turned into street battles with the police, army, and supporters of the government.
Around 300 were killed as the continued and tens of thousands have been injured.
Protesters demands eventually changed to an end of the government, with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fleeing the government today.
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