An exclusive report by Reuters reveals that the night before long-time Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina abruptly fled the country amid violent protests, the army chief convened a meeting with his generals. During this meeting, he directed the army not to open fire on civilians to enforce the curfew imposed by the Prime Minister.
The army chief subsequently communicated with the Prime Minister’s office, informing them that the military would be unable to enforce the lockdown Hasina had called for. This development signaled a significant loss of military support for Hasina, effectively leading to her overthrow and ending her 15-year rule.
Hasina’s previously firm control over the country was rapidly undermined by the deadly protests, which resulted in her unceremonious departure. The month-long unrest caused over 300 deaths, with at least 10,000 people arrested and thousands more injured.
On early Tuesday, protesters stormed the Prime Minister’s residence, looting and damaging the property. Footage of these events is available in our previous posts.
