Bangladesh's Prime Minister resigns and flees the country.

The army chief, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, announced Hasina's resignation in a nationally televised address and said a caretaker government would be formed.

According to media reports, 76-year-old Hasina boarded a military helicopter with her sister and was en route to India. CNN News 18 reported that she landed in Agartala, the capital of Tripura state in northeastern India, across the eastern border from Bangladesh.

People celebrate the resignation of Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on August 5. Photo: Reuters

Hasina resigned after student activists called for a march to the capital Dhaka on August 5th, defying a nationwide curfew, to exert pressure following deadly clashes across the country the previous day that left nearly 100 people dead.

The death toll on August 4th, including at least 13 police officers, was the highest single-day death toll in any protest in Bangladesh's recent history, surpassing the 67 deaths reported on July 19th when students took to the streets to protest quotas.

Over the weekend, there were attacks, vandalism, and arson targeting government buildings, offices of the ruling Awami League Party, police stations, and the homes of public representatives, according to local media reports. Violence was reported in 39 out of the country's 64 prefectures.

Bangladesh Railways has announced it has suspended all services indefinitely due to escalating violence. Domestic garment factories, which supply clothing to some of the world's leading brands, have also been forced to close indefinitely.

Bangladesh has been engulfed in protests and violence following last month's student demonstrations against state job quotas. The protests have escalated into a campaign to oust Prime Minister Hasina, who won a fourth consecutive term in January.

Approximately 250 people were killed and thousands injured in the riots.

Army Chief Zaman said he had had "productive" talks with leaders of all major political parties and would soon meet with President Mohammed Shahabuddin to discuss the next steps.

Television images showed thousands of people pouring into the streets of the capital Dhaka in jubilation, chanting slogans. Thousands also stormed Hasina's official residence, shouting slogans, raising their fists, and waving victory signs.

Crowds gathered in the mansion's living rooms. Some carried away televisions, chairs, and tables from one of Bangladesh's most heavily guarded buildings. "She has fled the country," some shouted.

Protesters in Dhaka also climbed to the top of the large statue of independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Hasina's father, and began using axes to chisel away at the statue's head.

Ngoc Anh (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/thu-tuong-bangladesh-sheikh-hasina-tu-chuc-tron-khoi-dat-nuoc-post306461.html