New Delhi: In response to the escalating situation in Bangladesh, Air India has announced the immediate cancellation of all flights to and from Dhaka. The airline is closely monitoring developments and offering support to affected passengers by providing a one-time waiver on rescheduling and cancellation fees. The safety of our guests and crew remains our foremost priority, Air India stated. For further inquiries, passengers can contact Air Indias 24/7 helpline at 011-69329333 or 011-69329999.Resignation of Sheikh HasinaEarlier today, Bangladeshs Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and left the country amid a wave of anti-government protests that have persisted for over a month. The announcement of her resignation came from Army Chief General Waker-Us-Zaman, who revealed plans to form an interim government to stabilize the situation. Reports suggest that the 76-year-old leader departed on a Bangladesh military aircraft, accompanied by her sister.IMPORTANT UPDATEIn view of the emerging situation in Bangladesh, we have cancelled the scheduled operation of our flights to and from Dhaka with immediate effect. We are continuously monitoring the situation and are extending support to our passengers with confirmed bookings…— Air India (@airindia) August 5, 2024Sheikh Hasinas departure follows intense protestsSheikh Hasina, who has been in power since 2009, initially resisted stepping down despite mounting unrest. However, the violent protests on Sunday, which resulted in nearly 100 casualties, compelled her to leave Bangladesh. Her security team reportedly advised her to depart urgently, allowing little time for preparation.Chaos in BangladeshFollowing Hasinas resignation, chaotic scenes erupted across Bangladesh. Jubilant crowds took to the streets, waving flags and climbing onto tanks. Protesters stormed the gates of her official residence, with some vandalizing statues of her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding leader of the nation.Amid the chaos, Hasinas son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, appealed to the security forces via Facebook, urging them to maintain order. Your duty is to keep our people safe and our country safe and to uphold the constitution, he wrote. It means dont allow any unelected government to come in power for one minute, it is your duty.Roots of the unrestThe protests against Hasinas government began last month, fueled by opposition to the reimplementation of a quota system that reserved over half of all government jobs for certain groups. These demonstrations quickly evolved into broader demands for her resignation. Hasina secured her fourth consecutive election victory in January in a poll that critics say lacked significant opposition.
