Bangladesh Leader Sheikh Hasina Arrives in India Amidst Political Turmoil

New Delhi, August 5: Sheikh Hasina, the recently resigned Prime Minister of Bangladesh, landed at the Hindon Air Base in Ghaziabad on Monday. Her arrival comes just hours after she resigned from her position and departed Dhaka, en route to Delhi.

Hasina arrived in India aboard a military transport plane from the Bangladesh Air Force, as protests erupted in Dhaka. Thousands of demonstrators stormed and vandalized ‘Ganabhaban,’ the official residence of the Prime Minister.

Further Developments

Reports indicate that Hasina may soon travel to London. In Dhaka, the residence of Bangladesh’s Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal was also reportedly set on fire in Dhanmondi, a prominent area of the capital.

In response to the escalating crisis, Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman confirmed Hasina’s resignation and announced that an interim government will be established to manage the country. The Army chief also stated that he will meet with President Mohammed Shahabuddin to discuss the future course of action.

Casualties and Protests

The violent clashes between police and protesters on Sunday resulted in over 100 deaths and more than 1,000 injuries. According to ‘The Daily Star,’ the death toll from the ongoing anti-government protests has surpassed 300 in the past three weeks, marking one of the bloodiest periods in Bangladesh’s civil movement history.

The unrest has been fueled by a student-led non-cooperation movement demanding the release of all student leaders and protesting against the 30% reservation in government jobs for relatives of freedom fighters from the 1971 independence war. Although the Supreme Court reduced the reservations to 5%, protests resumed when the government allegedly ignored calls to release student leaders, culminating in Hasina’s resignation becoming a central demand.