Tens of thousands of protesters poured into the streets of Dhaka celebrating the departure of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday, ending her 15-year rule as she fled the country.
Protesters shout slogans as they celebrate after getting the news of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajib Dhar)A man climbs to tie a rope around the head of a large statue of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, father of Bangladesh leader Sheikh Hasina, as protesters try to bring it down after she resigned as Prime Minister, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajib Dhar)
The protests, which began weeks earlier, started peacefully with frustrated students demanding the abolition of a quota system for government jobs. However, they quickly escalated into an unprecedented uprising against Hasina and her ruling Awami League party. Resentment also lingered from January’s election, during which thousands of opposition members were jailed.
Protesters celebrate at the Parliament House premise after news of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Fatima Tuj Johora)Anti-government protesters celebrate outside the Bangladesh Parliament after getting the news of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Abid Hasan)
The government’s response to the protests was harsh, resulting in nearly 300 deaths and further inflaming public outrage. Prime Minister Hasina had labeled the protesters as criminals, insisting they be dealt with harshly.
University students shout slogans during a protest to demand justice for victims killed in the recent countrywide deadly clashes and ask for their campuses to be opened, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Wednesday, July 31, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajib Dhar)
On Monday, defying a military curfew, protesters marched into the center of the capital. This time, the troops retreated. As internet access was restored, celebrations erupted in the streets. Thousands stormed the prime minister’s official residence, prompting Hasina to flee.
A vandalised portrait of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, founding father of Bangladesh, lies on the floor of a damaged studio of the state-owned Bangladesh Television (BTV) in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Wednesday, July 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajib Dhar)People participate in a protest march against Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her government to demand justice for the victims killed in the recent countrywide deadly clashes, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajib Dhar)Protesters carry a member of the army on their shoulders as they celebrate Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajib Dhar)Protesters celebrate after news of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Fatima Tuj Johora)Protesters celebrate after news of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Fatima Tuj Johora)Bangladeshis celebrate after news of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Monday, Aug. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Fatima Tuj Johora)
