As anti-government protests intensified in Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, the long-serving Prime Minister of Bangladesh, reportedly expressed her intention to resign and evacuated to India on the 5th (local time).
According to Yonhap News and local media, it was reported that Prime Minister Hasina left the presidential residence in the capital Dhaka on that day and evacuated to India via a military helicopter.
Prime Minister Hasina is the eldest daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (1920?1975), the first president of Bangladesh and regarded as the "Father of the Nation." She first took office in 1996 and served as prime minister until July 2001. After being ousted due to economic collapse and corruption, she won the general election again in 2008 and has been in long-term power since January 2009.
On that day, anti-government protesters held large-scale demonstrations demanding Prime Minister Hasina's resignation. The government imposed a curfew, but it was insufficient to stop the protesters. In particular, some protesters gathered upon hearing news of Hasina's departure and attempted to seize the presidential residence.
Meanwhile, reports emerged that Waker Woods Jaman, the Chief of Army Staff of Bangladesh, planned to deliver a public address. Foreign media speculated that the military might take control of the Bangladesh government.
The current crisis was triggered by the Bangladesh government's policy to allocate 30% of public service positions to children of independence activists. University students struggling with unemployment opposed the public service quota system and held large-scale protests last month. The government responded with a hardline approach, resulting in about 200 deaths.
Subsequently, the Supreme Court proposed a compromise to reduce the public service quota for children of independence activists to 5%, leading to a somewhat calming phase. However, clashes resumed over the release of arrested protesters and the prime minister's apology, resulting in about 100 deaths on the 4th.
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