Bangladesh PM leaves country for ‘safer place’ after resigning

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned after weeks of deadly anti-government protests as thousands of people stormed her official residence, demanding she step down.

Ms Hasina, 76, had already left the country to a “safer place”, one of her advisers said, before crowds arrived at her palace. The resignation came a day after at least 90 people were killed and hundreds injured in a new round of demonstrations.

The unrest in Dhaka and elsewhere began with a demand to abolish quotas in civil service jobs but escalated into a mass anti-government movement.

Protesters are blocking the Shahbagh intersection during a protest in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on August 4, 2024, to demand justice for the victims arrested and killed in the recent nationwide violence during anti-quota protests.

Entrances to Dhaka were blocked on Monday, with army units and police deployed across the city. The internet was also completely shut down before being restored a few hours later.

The government had also announced a three-day “holiday” – widely interpreted as a curfew – which closed down businesses and the courts.