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Dhaka – Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned following weeks of deadly anti-government protests, with thousands of people storming her official residence demanding she step down. Ms. Hasina, 76, had already left the country for a safer location, according to one of her advisers, before the crowds reached her palace.

The resignation occurred a day after at least 90 people were killed and hundreds injured in a new wave of demonstrations. The unrest in Dhaka and other areas initially began with demands to abolish quotas in civil service jobs but quickly escalated into a widespread anti-government movement.

Entrances to Dhaka were blocked on Monday, with army units and police deployed throughout the city. The internet was also completely shut down before being restored a few hours later. The government declared a three-day “holiday”—widely interpreted as a curfew—which led to the closure of businesses and courts. However, this did not deter tens of thousands of people from converging on the city, responding to a call by protest leaders to begin a “long march to Dhaka.” Anger was high following the deaths, mostly of protesters, on Sunday.

Both police and some supporters of the ruling party were seen using live ammunition against anti-government protesters. Police also deployed tear gas and rubber bullets. Thirteen police officers were killed on Sunday when thousands of people attacked a police station in Sirajganj district, police reported. Two more officers died of their injuries on Monday following the attack. Additionally, there were reports of several more protesters being killed.

The total death toll from weeks of unrest now stands at around 300, the majority of whom were protesters shot by security forces. Mobile operators received orders from the government to shut off their 4G services on Monday, reports indicated.

The country is experiencing a near-total national internet shutdown, following earlier social media and mobile cuts, according to NetBlocks, a watchdog that monitors internet freedom. On 18 July, the Bangladeshi government had also turned off the country’s mobile internet in an attempt to quell the protests. Broadband connectivity was restored a week later, while mobile internet services came back online days afterward. However, neither the internet blackout nor the indefinite nationwide curfew imposed on Sunday hindered the protesters across Bangladesh.

On Monday, thousands of protesters began marching in Uttara, a suburb of Dhaka, chanting and demanding Ms. Hasina’s resignation under the watchful eyes of army personnel and police officers stationed at various points in the capital. Amid calls for her resignation, Ms. Hasina initially sounded defiant. Speaking after a meeting with security chiefs on Monday, she described the protesters as “not students but terrorists who are out to destabilize the nation.”

On Sunday, Law and Justice Minister Anisul Huq told the BBC’s Newshour program that authorities were showing “restraint.” “If we had not shown restraint, there would have been a bloodbath. I guess our patience has limits,” he added.

Source: BBC