Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina resigns amid protests, drawing parallels to Sri Lanka’s 2022 crisis

In scenes reminiscent of Sri Lanka where then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country in the face of surging public protests in 2022, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who was serving her third consecutive term resigned from office yesterday after weeks of protests against a quota system for government jobs descended into violence and grew into a broader challenge.

Still, there is a pall of uncertainty over her future after her resignation and fleeing the country via New Delhi. According to foreign media, tens of thousands of protesters have hit the streets and clashed with cops, demanding Hasina’s resignation. At least 98 people were killed in Sunday’s violence, surpassing the 67 deaths reported on July 19 when students protested against the quota system for government jobs.

Bangladesh performed well economically under her leadership and became a shining example. Yet in recent times, the country started experiencing some economic issues such as inflation, and unemployment.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s departure threatens to create even more instability in the nation on India’s border already dealing with a series of crises, from high unemployment and corruption to climate change.

She was seen on TV boarding a military helicopter with her sister. Military chief, Gen. Waker-uz-Zaman, said he would seek the president’s guidance on forming an interim government.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, 76, and her sister took a military helicopter to India’s eastern state of West Bengal, according to media reports, which is just across the border. Another report, however, said she was headed to India’s north-eastern state of Tripura.