The demonstrations began with students demanding that a quota system for civil service jobs be abandoned. They turned violent. The head of government fled to India.
She fought back with all her might until the very end – but now Bangladesh’s long-serving Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned after weeks of protests that left more than 300 people dead. The military confirmed this. Army chief Waker-uz-Zaman said that an interim government would take over the leadership of the country. “Those who committed murders and other atrocities will be punished,” he also promised. He called on citizens to trust the army. A curfew that Hasina imposed as a measure against the protests is to be lifted early Tuesday morning, according to military sources. Schools and shops should then reopen.
Shortly before Hasina’s resignation, events unfolded rapidly: thousands of protesters stormed Ganabhaban, Hasina’s official residence in the capital Dhaka. They took chairs, cushions and even ducks with them, bathed in the swimming pool and posed for selfies in Hasina’s bed. The 76-year-old has since been flown to India by helicopter, a Foreign Ministry official confirmed. It was initially unclear whether she would travel on from there – she has family members in Great Britain and the USA.
Local television footage showed thousands of demonstrators dancing and celebrating in Dhaka after the head of government’s escape – including on the university campus where the protest originally began in July. Others looted Hasina’s office and the premises of her party colleagues as well as the parliament building, as could be seen in the television images.
What was the protest directed against?
The protests were initially directed against the planned reintroduction of a controversial quota system in the public sector. According to this system, more than half of the jobs would be reserved for certain groups. The protesters accused Hasina of benefiting supporters of her ruling party in particular. Initially, only students demonstrated. They demanded that jobs in the public sector be awarded according to performance. A court largely granted the demonstrators’ demands. The protests also spread to many other groups due to the harsh actions of the security forces against the demonstrators. They finally called for the resignation of the head of government, who has recently become increasingly authoritarian and is considered to be completely out of touch. There is a great deal of dissatisfaction in the country in general.
Why is there so much dissatisfaction in the country?
Many of the country’s 170 million inhabitants are struggling to make ends meet. Despite a remarkable economic boom under Hasina – the country is home to the second largest textile industry in the world – many are struggling with high inflation and continued high unemployment.
Who is Sheikh Hasina?
Hasina is considered the longest-serving prime minister in the world. She was head of government for a total of 20 years – first in 1996 for five years and then continuously since 2009. The opposition has repeatedly accused her of election manipulation. Her rise to power began in the 1970s, when her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman – the country’s first president – was murdered along with almost his entire family in a military coup.
Hasina was in Germany at the time with her husband, who was working there as a nuclear physicist. In 1981 she became head of her party, the Awami League. Human rights organizations accuse her of targeting any critics; thousands were arrested. Freedom of speech and freedom of the press also suffered under her government. At the same time, Hasina rewarded her followers heavily.
How did Hasina respond to the protest?
The head of government tried to quell the protests from the start: she imposed curfews and sent the army and police throughout the country. They used rubber bullets, stun grenades and tear gas to disperse the people. She had the internet severely restricted on several occasions for long periods of time.
According to local media reports, more than ten thousand people have been arrested in recent weeks. More than 300 people were reportedly killed during the demonstrations. Many of the dead had gunshot wounds, it was said – including demonstrators, police officers, representatives of Hasina’s party and journalists. At the same time, Hasina accused the opposition parties of sabotaging her government with the protests.
What happens next?
According to observers, Hasina’s resignation after 20 years at the helm of the country does not necessarily mean that the country will have easy days ahead. The process of agreeing on a transitional government could well be bumpy. Hostility between the parties is widespread and deep-rooted, even at the local level, wrote the New York Times.
The EU called for calm and restraint. “It is crucial that an orderly and peaceful transition to a democratically elected government is ensured – with full respect for human rights and democratic principles,” said EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrel in Brussels. People arbitrarily arrested should be released immediately.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
