New Delhi: Bangladeshs Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned on Monday and left the country following over a month of intense anti-government protests. Army Chief General Waker-Us-Zaman announced that an interim government would soon be established to restore order. Reports indicate that the 76-year-old leader departed on a Bangladesh military aircraft accompanied by her sister.Flight path over IndiaFlight tracking data from Flight Radar captured a Bangladesh Air Force Lockheed C-130J Hercules aircraft flying over India, specifically over the state of Jharkhand. Contrary to earlier reports suggesting that Hasina might be headed to West Bengal, the flight data showed the aircraft bypassing the state entirely.Flight path over India. XSheikh Hasinas resigns amid violent protestsSheikh Hasina, who has governed since 2009, initially resisted demands to step down amid ongoing unrest. However, she fled the country following a violent day of protests on Sunday, which resulted in nearly 100 casualties. Sources say her security team urged her to leave urgently, allowing her little time to prepare for departure.Scenes of chaos in BangladeshThe streets of Bangladesh were marked by chaos as news of Hasinas resignation spread. Crowds gathered in celebration, waving flags and even climbing on top of a tank. Hundreds of protesters breached the gates of her official residence, some even vandalizing statues of her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the nations founding leader.In the midst of the turmoil, Hasinas son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, issued a call to the countrys security forces via Facebook. Your duty is to keep our people safe and our country safe and to uphold the constitution, he stated. It means dont allow any unelected government to come in power for one minute, it is your duty.What had triggered protestsHasinas government, which has enjoyed the support of the military and security forces, faced increasing unrest since last month. The protests originated from opposition to the reinstatement of a quota system that reserved more than half of all government jobs for specific groups, and they quickly escalated into demands for her resignation. In January, Hasina secured her fourth consecutive election victory in an election that lacked significant opposition.
