Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned and fled the country amid weeks of deadly protests.
Hasina’s departure on Monday came after weeks of violent demonstrations, which have averted further bloodshed for the time being. The attention now shifts to who will control the South Asian country. Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced in a national address that an interim government will now run Bangladesh and called for calm.
Hasina, who ruled for nearly two decades, left on a military helicopter on Monday, according to an aide who spoke to Al Jazeera. This occurred as massive crowds defied a national curfew to storm her palace in Dhaka.
Her resignation followed protests that left 300 people dead over several weeks. A deadly night on Sunday resulted in nearly 100 deaths, prompting a curfew.
Soldiers patrolled the streets on Monday, but protesters remained defiant and planned a march on Dhaka as crowds gathered in the capital.
Large numbers then stormed the prime minister’s palace, preventing Hasina from making a speech. By early afternoon, the streets were filled with celebration after news of her departure spread. Al Jazeera’s Tanvir Chowdhury, reporting from Shahbagh Square, the center of the student protests, said he had “never witnessed something like this” in the capital.
“Everybody is celebrating, not just students—people from all walks of life. They said this had to happen; democracy was squeezed, and now we are free,” Chowdhury reported.
Protesters emphasized that whoever assumes power next “will now know that they won’t tolerate any kind of dictatorship or mismanagement and that the students will decide.”
Bangladesh experienced years of military rule in the 1970s and 80s following its independence from Pakistan in 1971, and many fear a return to such times.
Army chief Waker-Uz-Zaman sought to reassure the country, urging citizens to trust the army, which he said would restore peace.
“We will also ensure that justice is served for every death and crime that occurred during the protests,” he stated, urging the public to be patient and to cease any violence and vandalism. “We have invited representatives from all major political parties, and they have accepted our invitation and committed to collaborating with us,” he added.
The military faces a “very tough job ahead,” said Irene Khan, a UN special rapporteur.
“We are all hoping that the transition will be peaceful and that there will be accountability for all the human rights violations that have taken place,” Khan told Al Jazeera.
Protests began a month ago over a controversial government job quota scheme. The government’s response included shutting down universities and using police and military forces to crack down on protesters.
Hasina imposed a nationwide curfew and cut off access to phones and the internet. Despite this, protests continued, and the country’s top court ruled to reduce the highly contested quotas from 30 percent to 5 percent, with 3 percent for relatives of veterans.
However, this was not enough. The protest movement had evolved into a nationwide uprising demanding Hasina’s resignation and accountability for those killed.
“Bangladesh has an enormous task ahead,” Khan said. “It is no longer the poster child of sustainable development. The previous government had driven this country into despair, and rebuilding it will require a lot of hard work. Most importantly, the army must respect human rights.”