Dhaka, Bangladesh – According to Bangladesh’s army chief, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has stepped down after weeks of intense and deadly protests over a disputed government jobs quota system.
The unrest began in July when students protested against a quota system that allocated 30% of government jobs to the relatives of veterans from the Bangladesh Liberation War. The demonstrations, which quickly turned violent, resulted in over 200 fatalities last month.
Reports from Prothom Alo, a leading Bengali-language daily, and Channel 24 indicate that at least 49 to 50 individuals died in the violence reported yesterday alone.
The escalating violence led protesters to demand Hasina’s resignation. The army chief confirmed that Hasina has resigned, with reports suggesting she fled the country.
An AFP News Agency source disclosed that Hasina initially left by motorcade but was later evacuated via helicopter, though her exact destination remains unspecified.
The controversy revolves around a jobs quota that was initially abolished in 2018. This quota reserved 30% of government positions for veterans and their descendants from the 1970s independence war.
Despite its repeal, Hasina’s Awami League party, which has strong political ties to many descendants of these veterans, sought to reintroduce the quota earlier this year following a high court decision.
The protestors, primarily young undergraduate students, argued that the quota was undemocratic and favoured government loyalists for coveted state jobs. In response to the unrest, Hasina, who has governed Bangladesh for 15 years, disparaged the demonstrators, prompting violent interventions by police and military forces.
General Waker-Uz-Zaman, the army chief, announced he would establish an interim government following Hasina’s resignation and departure from the capital.
Addressing the nation in military attire, Waker-Uz-Zaman stated, “I am taking full responsibility,” although it remains unclear if he will lead the caretaker government.
In his broadcast, Waker-Uz-Zaman emphasized the need to end the violence, stating, “The country has suffered a lot, the economy has been hit, many people have been killed – it is time to stop the violence.”
He expressed hope that his address would help stabilize the situation.
