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Why has PM Sheikh Hasina fled the country suddenly?
The Guardian Weekly
|August 09, 2024
After 15 years in power, Bangladesh's prime minister has suddenly resigned and fled the country.
Sheikh Hasina's departure came after weeks of student-led protests were met with deadly force, and has been greeted with jubilation on the streets of the capital, Dhaka.
What led to this?
Students protested for fairer access to government jobs and were met with violence, including the killing of nearly 300 people.
The students had originally demanded the removal of a quota system that reserved 30% of government jobs for the families of people who fought for independence from Pakistan in 1971. But the government's harsh response to the protests meant they continued even after the supreme court largely met their demands on quotas two weeks ago.
The internet was entirely cut off during the worst of the violence but images that emerged showed police and members of the ruling Awami League party's student wing attacking protesters with live fire and machetes and running them over with vehicles. People in Dhaka have described nonstop night-time raids, which have led to 11,000 people being arrested.
Who is Sheikh Hasina?
This story is from the August 09, 2024 edition of The Guardian Weekly.
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