Bangladesh Prime Minister Resigns And Leaves Country As Protesters Storm Residence

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned connected Monday, ending 15 years successful powerfulness arsenic thousands of protesters defied a subject curfew and stormed her charismatic residence.

The news was confirmed by officials from nan subject and nan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who requested anonymity they were not authorized to speak to nan media.

Thousands appeared to person entered Hasina’s charismatic residence successful Dhaka connected Monday, pursuing weeks of convulsive demonstrations and clashes pinch information forces.

Bangladesh’s subject main Gen. Waker-uz-Zaman is expected to reside nan federation later today.

The protests began peacefully successful precocious June, arsenic students sought an extremity to a quota strategy for authorities jobs, but turned convulsive aft clashes betwixt protesters and constabulary and pro-government activists astatine Dhaka University.

The government’s attempts to quell nan demonstrations pinch force, curfews and net shutdowns backfired, prompting further outrage arsenic astir 300 group were killed and starring to demands for an extremity to her 15 years successful power.

On Sunday, astir 100 group were killed arsenic nan protesters fought pinch information officials and nan ruling statement activists crossed nan country.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier communicative follows below.

DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) — Broadband net and mobile information services were restored crossed Bangladesh connected Monday, while anti-government protesters vowed to march to nan superior to request nan premier minister’s resignation, defying a military-ordered curfew aft a play of unit that near astir 100 group dead.

The protests began peacefully arsenic disappointment students demanded an extremity to a quota strategy for authorities jobs, but nan demonstrations person since shape-shifted into an unprecedented situation and uprising against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her ruling Awami League party.

The authorities has attempted to quell nan unit pinch force, leaving nearly 300 group dead and fueling further outrage and calls for Hasina to measurement down.

At slightest 95 people, including astatine slightest 14 constabulary officers, died successful clashes successful nan superior connected Sunday, according to nan country’s starring Bengali-language regular newspaper, Prothom Alo. Hundreds much were injured successful nan violence.

Authorities first unopen disconnected mobile net connected Sunday successful an effort to quell nan unrest, while nan broadband net stopped moving from precocious Monday morning. This is nan 2nd net blackout successful nan state aft nan protests turned deadly successful July.

On Monday, aft 3 hours of suspension of broadband services, some broadband and mobile net returned.

The military-imposed curfew went into effect Sunday nighttime and covered Dhaka and different divisional and territory headquarters. The authorities had earlier imposed a curfew pinch immoderate exceptions successful nan superior and elsewhere.

The authorities besides announced a vacation from Monday to Wednesday. Courts were to beryllium closed indefinitely. Mobile net work was trim off, and Facebook and messaging apps, including WhatsApp, were inaccessible connected Monday.

Bangladesh has antecedently unopen down net services successful areas affected by protests, utilizing it arsenic a measurement to suppress dissent by guidance parties. Internet watchdog Access Now said it recorded 3 shutdowns successful nan state successful 2023, each of which overlapped pinch guidance rallies and were constricted successful scope to 1 metropolis aliases district. That came aft six shutdowns successful 2022.

Hasina said nan protesters who engaged successful “sabotage” and demolition were nary longer students but criminals, and she said nan group should woody pinch them pinch robust hands.

The premier minister’s ruling Awami League statement said nan request for her resignation showed that nan protests person been taken complete by nan main guidance Bangladesh Nationalist Party and the now-banned Jamaat-e-Islami party.

Hasina’s 15-years dominance complete nan state is being tested for illustration ne'er before.

The 76-year-old was elected for a 4th consecutive word successful a January ballot that was boycotted by her main opponents, triggering questions complete really free and adjacent nan ballot was. Thousands of guidance members were jailed successful nan lead-up to nan polls, which nan authorities defended arsenic democratically held.

Today, she is nan longest-serving leader successful nan history of Bangladesh, a predominantly Muslim federation of complete 160 cardinal group strategically located betwixt India and Myanmar.

Her governmental opponents person antecedently accused her of increasing progressively autocratic and called her a threat to nan country’s democracy, and galore now opportunity nan unrest is simply a consequence of her authoritarian streak and hunger for power astatine each costs.

At slightest 11,000 group person been arrested successful caller weeks. The unrest has besides resulted successful nan closure of schools and universities crossed nan country, and authorities astatine 1 constituent imposed a shoot-on-sight curfew.

Over nan weekend, protesters called for a “non-cooperation” effort, urging group not to salary taxes aliases inferior bills and not to show up for activity connected Sunday, a moving time successful Bangladesh. Offices, banks and factories opened, but commuters successful Dhaka and different cities faced challenges getting to their jobs.

The protests began past period arsenic students demanded an extremity to a quota strategy that reserved 30% of authorities jobs for nan families of veterans who fought successful Bangladesh’s warfare of independency against Pakistan successful 1971.

As nan unit crested, the country’s Supreme Court ruled that nan veterans’ quota must beryllium trim to 5%, pinch 93% of jobs to beryllium allocated connected merit. The remaining 2% will beryllium group speech for members of taste minorities and transgender and abnormal people. The authorities accepted nan decision, but protesters person continued demanding accountability for nan unit they blasted connected nan government’s usage of force.

Hasina’s management has blamed nan guidance parties and their student wings for instigating nan unit successful which respective state-owned establishments were besides torched aliases vandalized.

Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, secretary-general of nan main guidance party, repeated a telephone for nan authorities to measurement down to extremity nan chaos.

Hasina offered to talk pinch student leaders connected Saturday, but a coordinator refused and announced a one-point request for her resignation. Hasina repeated her pledges to analyse nan deaths and punish those responsible for nan violence. She said she was fresh to beryllium down whenever nan protesters want.

The protests person go a awesome situation for Hasina, who has ruled nan state for complete 15 years. She returned to powerfulness for a 4th consecutive word successful January successful an predetermination that was boycotted by her main opponents.

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Pathi reported from New Delhi.