Sheikh Hasina resigns as Bangladesh prime minister. Photo credit: Bloomberg
Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh’s prime minister, has resigned and fled the country amid weeks of deadly anti-government protests.
An aide told Al Jazeera that Hasina, 76, boarded a military helicopter alongside her sister and fled after crowds ignored a nationwide curfew to besiege the prime minister’s palace in Dhaka, the country’s capital, on Monday.
Images showed flames billowing from vehicles near Hasina’s home, with police unable to contain throngs of people marching towards the neighborhood.
After news of her resignation broke, thousands took to the streets of Dhaka in celebration. She was in power for a combined 20 years.
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The demonstrations which began in July were triggered by students seeking an end to a quota system for government jobs.
However, clashes with police and pro-government activists escalated. No fewer than 300 people have been reported dead since the protests began.
On Sunday, nearly 100 people were reported dead.
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The death toll heightened calls for accountability from government.
The 76-year-old won a fourth straight term in January in an election boycotted by the opposition.
Waker-Uz-Zaman, the army chief, urged citizens to trust the army, which he said would return peace to the country.
“We will also ensure that justice is served for every death and crime that occurred during the protests,” he said, asking the public to be patient and to cease violence and vandalism.
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“We have invited representatives from all major political parties, and they have accepted our invitation and committed to collaborating with us.”
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