Army chief proclaims interim government after Prime Minister Hasina resigns
This morning Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left the country aboard a military helicopter after protests broke out again. Chief of Army Staff General Waker-Uz-Zaman addressed the nation announcing that he had held talks with several political parties.
Dhaka (AsiaNews) – The government of Bangladesh has fallen. This morning Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and left the country aboard a military helicopter together with her sister Sheikh Rehana overwhelmed by fresh anti-government protests.
“Sheikh Hasina has stepped down as Prime Minister of Bangladesh,” said Chief of Army Staff, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, announcing the news.
“We are now entering a period of political transition. An interim government will be formed, and all murders will be judged. Trust in the army as we navigate this change. We have held meetings with leaders from various political parties,” he explained.
At least 90 more people were killed yesterday in clashes between police and demonstrators, bringing the death toll to over 300 since early July, when young university students took to the streets for the first time to protest against the quota system in public employment.
These are the most violent demonstrations in the country since it became independent in 1971.
General Zaman urged people to maintain peace and order, calling on the nation to “Trust me. Let’s work together. Please stop fighting and avoid conflict. Together, we have built a beautiful country."
In response to journalists' questions, General Zaman confirmed that he had met with the leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the Jatiya Party, and the Jamaat-e-Islami, an Islamist party that Hasina had blamed for the violence and tried to ban.
The meeting was also attended by prominent figures such as Dhaka University professor Afis Nazrul and leftist leader Jonaid Saki.
General Zaman said that further talks will be held on forming a provisional government in Bangabhaban, the official residence of the president of Bangladesh, a position currently held by Mohammed Shahabuddin, appointed in 2023 by the Awami League, Sheikh Hasina's party.
Thousands of people gathered in celebration. General Zaman again urged the students to remain calm during this transition. Some in the street declared: "We want the murderer Sheikh Hasina to be tried for killing hundreds of students."
This morning a crowd of protesters stormed the Prime Minister’s Residence in the capital Dhaka, the epicentre of the protests since the start. According to local sources, Hasina did not have time to address the country before leaving, presumably for India.
Several commentators have pointed out that the events of the last month marked a point of no return for Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina had been in power since 2009 and her government had become increasingly authoritarian.
She was elected once again as prime minister last January, but the election was boycotted by the opposition, represented by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), whose leader, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, has been under arrest since 2018 on corruption charges.
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03/09/2007
12/04/2007
21/03/2023 17:40
