Military Takes Control After Sheikh Hasina Flees Bangladesh, Interim Government To Be Formed Today: What Has Happened So Far

The Bangladeshi Parliament is set to be dissolved today (6 August), a day after Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country as the military assumed control amidst widespread protests.

On Monday (5 August) evening, Bangladeshi President Mohammed Shahabuddin chaired an important meeting to discuss a military-supported caretaker government.

The meeting was attended by Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, heads of the navy and airforce, and prominent leaders from opposition parties such as the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami.

Hours after Sheikh Hasina was ousted, President Shahabuddin ordered the release of Khaleda Zia, the pro-Islamist and anti-India imprisoned former prime minister and key opposition leader.

In an address to the nation, Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman on Monday said that Sheikh Hasina had resigned and the Army would form an interim government.

"The country has suffered a lot, the economy has been hit, many people have been killed -- it is time to stop the violence," said General Waker.

Sheikh Hasina, daughter of Bangladesh's founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was reportedly given a 45-minute ultimatum to resign as Prime Minister.

Hasina, who started her fifth term as Prime Minister earlier this year, aged 76, resigned and departed from Dhaka in a military aircraft bound for India, accompanied by her younger sister, Sheikh Rehana.

Upon landing at the Hindon Air Force base in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad, around 30 km from Delhi, Sheikh Hasina met with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.

She is expected to leave for London later to seek political asylum.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the situation in Bangladesh. It remains unclear whether PM Modi will meet Hasina.

Following Sheikh Hasina's departure, Western powers have urged calm in Bangladesh. The United States appealed for all parties to "refrain from further violence," and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres advocated for a "peaceful, orderly and democratic transition."

Sheikh Hasina attempted to suppress nationwide protests against her government since early July, but fled the country following severe unrest on Sunday, which resulted in nearly 100 deaths, raising the total death toll since the anti-government demonstrations began to over 300.

The protests, which began in June, were initially driven by student groups' demands to abolish a contentious quota system in government jobs. These demands soon evolved into a broader movement aiming to end Hasina's rule.

Also Read: Sheikh Hasina Lands At Ghaziabad After Fleeing From Bangladesh, No Official Statement Yet