Cheering protesters stormed Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s palace on Monday after she fled, marking the peak of over a month of deadly anti-government protests......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
Jubilant crowds, some dancing on a tank, breached the gates of Hasina’s residence in Dhaka on Monday morning. Bangladesh’s Channel 24 captured scenes of the crowds running into the compound, celebrating and waving to cameras.
A source close to Hasina, 76, informed AFP that she had relocated to a “safer place.”
Bangladesh’s army chief, Waker-Uz-Zaman, is scheduled to address the nation on Monday afternoon, according to a military spokesman.
Before the palace storming, Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Joy, called on security forces to prevent any takeover and uphold the constitution. He urged them to ensure that no unelected government comes to power.
The unrest began last month over civil service job quotas and expanded to demands for Hasina’s resignation. Despite curfews and deadly force, protests continued.
On Sunday alone, 94 people, including 14 police officers, were killed, marking the deadliest day of the unrest. The violence, involving battles with sticks, knives, and gunfire, has raised the total death toll since early July to at least 300.
In January 2007, the military declared an emergency following similar unrest and installed a caretaker government for two years.