Bangladesh protests updates: Sheikh Hasina quits, interim gov’t taking over

Thank you for joining our live coverage of the political developments in Bangladesh.

You can read our up-to-date news story here and our piece looking at what’s next here.

You can also take a look at our timeline, looking back at Hasina’s 15-year tenure here.

Our photo team has also compiled a gallery of the best images from today’s celebrations in Dhaka. You can see that here.

We will shortly be closing this live page, but before we do, here’s a quick recap of what happened today:

• Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigns and flees Bangladesh after weeks of deadly unrest.
• Local media reports in India say an aircraft with Hasina on board lands at Hindon Airbase near New Delhi.
• Thousands of people storm Hasina’s official residence in Dhaka amid scenes of jubilation in the streets.
• The head of the army says an interim government will be formed and pledges justice for those who have been killed.
• General Waker-uz-Zaman urges protesters to stop the unrest amid reports of vandalism.

Hasina became Bangladesh’s prime minister for the first time after her Awami League party won the 1996 elections.

On Monday, after weeks of protests, the 76-year-old resigned and fled the country. Here’s a look back at her life:

The 27-member bloc’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, says the European Union “calls for calm and restraint” after Hasina’s resignation.

“It is vital that an orderly and peaceful transition towards a democratically elected government is ensured, in full respect of human rights and democratic principles,” he said.

There’s been nothing like this. It’s unprecedented.

There are still thousands of people in the streets.

It’s also a sigh of relief because the whole country was in a standstill. For two weeks, there have been clashes and violence.

Even now, unfortunately, certain members of the crowd are committing vandalism.

Several TV stations were ransacked as was the house of the prime minister’s adviser and the prime minister’s home.

There have also been many reports of vandalism and looting, and the student leaders are urging people to calm down, to refrain from vandalising, avoid hurting others and have a sensitive attitude towards minorities.

Let’s bring you up to speed with the top developments over the past few hours:

• Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigns and flees Bangladesh after weeks of deadly unrest.
• Local media reports in India say an aircraft with Hasina on board lands at Hindon Airbase near New Delhi.
• The head of the army says an interim government will be formed as he urges protesters to stop the unrest.
• He also pledges to meet the demands of the protesters and bring justice for those who have been killed.
• Thousands of people storm Hasina’s official residence in Dhaka amid scenes of jubilation in the streets.
• Protesters in the capital also vandalise a statue of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Hasina’s father and independence leader.
• Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport temporarily closes amid the unrest.

Our Newsfeed team has put together a video with the footage believed to show the departure of Hasina from Dhaka earlier in the day.

Watch it below:

Tarique Rahman, the exiled acting chairman of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), says Hasina’s resignation “proves the power of the people”.

“Together, let’s rebuild Bangladesh into a democratic and developed nation, where the rights and freedoms of all people are protected,” Rahman posted on X.

Sheikh Hasina’s resignation proves the power of the people and will be an example for generations to come, showing how the courage of the people can overpower atrocities.

Congratulations to the students and protesters from all sections of society. Their selfless sense of justice… pic.twitter.com/NJwIe8ACE8

— Tarique Rahman (@trahmanbnp) August 5, 2024

A spokesperson for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the government is “obviously deeply concerned by the violence we’ve seen in Bangladesh in recent weeks and that has obviously escalated in recent days”.

“The very significant loss of life, including of students, children and law enforcement officers, is completely unacceptable,” the spokesperson said.

“The right to peaceful protest must be protected and never subject to violence, and we call on the authorities to release all peaceful protesters and ensure due process is followed for those charged and prosecuted.

“We hope that swift action is taken to ensure that democracy prevails and accelerate the process towards peace and security to people in Bangladesh.”

Right now, people are still embracing the happiness.

Just a few minutes ago, an army patrol told protesters to go home, that the army was with them and that they should let the roads clear. They were saying the protesters were all protected and not to worry.

But people are still planning to stay on the streets even though it’s not as crowded.

What happens next depends on how the interim government is formed, who its members are and how acceptable they are to the public.

The immediate matter will be those in jail. Hundreds of people are injured in the hospital, and people want accountability for all the bloodshed.

The economy is in bad shape. Businesses were closed during the clashes and the curfew. There will be relief now because they can operate.

What is needed, however, is a big bounce-back. There is a reserve shortage of foreign exchange, and the country is struggling with high inflation. Many challenges remain for an interim government.

Witnesses have told Al Jazeera that Rahman’s residence-turned-museum in Dhaka has come under attack.

The building’s floors and rooms were vandalised before being set ablaze.

A statue of Rahman in front of the building was also damaged while nearby buildings were set on fire too.

Additionally, the office of the president of the Awami League has been attacked.

No party leaders or activists were present at the time. Three staff members had evacuated shortly before the attack.

Our podcast series The Take spoke last week to several protesters to find out more about the student movement and its demands.

Listen below:

After 15 years of Sheikh Hasina’s administration, it is not clear what comes next.

The country’s military chief, General Waker-uz-Zaman, said he would seek the president’s guidance on forming an interim government and promised an investigation into the deadly crackdown on student-led protests that fuelled anger against the government.

“Keep faith in the military, we will investigate all the killings and punish the responsible,” he said. “I have ordered that no army and police will indulge in any kind of firing.”

As Hasina boarded a military helicopter with her sister, thousands of protesters celebrated in Dhaka, waving flags as the news broke, while others looted her official residence, carrying out furniture and even fish from the kitchens.

“[It is an] end of a regime that delivered a lot of development but was increasingly authoritarian, as we saw with the mass killings these past weeks,” said Naomi Hossain, a research professor at the London-based university SOAS.

The country has seen interim governments in the past, Hossain told AP, adding that for now the hope is that the army will ensure peace.

But there are fears of reprisal violence. “It could get ugly if the army isn’t able to calm people down and defuse the issue. It could be a while before we are out of the woods,” she added.

Grameenphone has reinstated 3G and 4G networks, allowing people in Bangladesh to access mobile internet services across the country, Norwegian telecom operator Telenor has told Reuters.

Telenor is Grameenphone’s largest shareholder.