Anti-government protesters in Bangladesh have stormed Prime Minister Sheik Hasina’s palace in Dhaka, similar to the ‘Aragalaya’ people’s struggle in Sri Lanka in 2022.
According to media reports, protesters ignored a national curfew to storm PM Hasina’s palace in Dhaka today. Images on national television showed thousands of people breaking into the prime minister’s official residence.
It also showed large crowds of protesters out in the street in scenes of jubilation as the news of the departure of Hasina started spreading. The resignation comes after 300 people have died amid weeks of protest the authorities have sought to crush.
Following a night of deadly violence that killed close to 100 on Sunday, tension had remained high on Monday as protesters called for a march on Dhaka and the army prepared to address the nation.
Protests in the country started a month ago over a controversial job quota scheme which reserved a third of government jobs for family veterans of the country’s 1971 independence war with Pakistan.
Despite Hasina reversing the highly contested policy, the demonstration morphed into an unprecedented and nationwide uprising against her and the ruling Awami League party. (Newswire/ Al Jazeera)
Bangladesh protesters storm the Prime Minister’s palace, reminiscent of similar footage from Sri Lanka’s 2022 protests
📸 Bangladeshi-Bengali TV station Channel 24. pic.twitter.com/TGYZNIPytP
— Azzam Ameen (@AzzamAmeen) August 5, 2024
