Sheikh Hasina Flees, Might Seek Refuge In India As Interim Government Will Take Over In Bangladesh

Embattled Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is said to have fled ‘Gono Bhaban’, her official residence, before hordes of protestors stormed the sprawling palace Monday afternoon (5 August).

Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman has said that Hasina has resigned and an interim government will be formed to run the country.

Hasina had to leave her residence in haste, along with her sister, after lakhs of protesters who had flooded the streets of Dhaka started marching towards Gono Bhaban. Top army and police officers advised her to leave because it would have been impossible to stop the protesters. 

Hasina was preparing to address the nation but had to leave, fearing for her life. Her fears were not unfounded; barely an hour after she left, hundreds of protesters stormed the residence and started ransacking it. 

An army helicopter rescued her, along with her sister and a couple of key aides, from Gono Bhaban and took her to a safe, undisclosed location. It is learnt that she might seek refuge in India, at least for the time being.

Dhaka was overwhelmed by lakhs of protesters — students, workers, and functionaries of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh and other Islamist groups — responding to a ‘march to Dhaka’ call to force Hasina to step down. 

The protesters clashed with the police on Monday morning, leaving at least nine dead. Protesters also laid siege to highways and rail tracks. Violence is being reported from other parts of the country as well. 

Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, who is based in the United States, urged the country’s security forces to block any takeover of her 15-year rule.

“Your duty is to keep our people safe and our country safe and to uphold the constitution,” Joy said in a post on Facebook.

Also Read: Bangladesh Unrest: Sheikh Hasina’s Future Seems Uncertain With Army Taking Ambivalent Stand