August 05, (THEWILL) – Bangladeshi Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, resigned and fled the country on Monday afternoon, ending a 15-year rule that has faced violent opposition in recent months.
Hasina’s resignation was officially announced in a televised address by the army chief, Gen. Waker-Uz-Zaman, adding that an interim government will be formed in the coming weeks.
Weeks of bloody clashes between protesters and Hasina’s security forces intensified this past weekend, with dozens killed on Sunday.
Thousands of protesters had flooded Hasina’s official residence on Monday, calling for her ouster.
According to local Bangladeshi news agencies, Hasina escaped her residence minutes before it was stormed by protesters. She left for India and was accompanied by her younger sister, Sheikh Rehana, on a helicopter, local media reported.
