Bangladesh protests: Sheikh Hasina was given just 45 minutes to flee country, say sources

Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina was given just 45 minutes by the Bangladesh Army to leave the country on Monday, sources said.

Sources said that Hasina wanted to broadcast a message to the nation before leaving Bangladesh, but the army didn’t allow her to do so.

According to the sources, there were two factions of the Bangladesh Army, one in favour of Sheikh Hasina, while the other faction, consisting of junior officers and around 60 retired officers, were against her.

A meeting of the army’s National Security Council was held at around 1 pm on Sunday and the Army had told Hasina that they wouldn’t stop the students during their march on Monday.

The situation was fine till 9 am on Monday, after which, thousands of students entered Dhaka from the Gazipur border. The situation then escalated, following which the Army gave Sheikh Hasina 45 minutes to leave the country, sources said.

Notably, Hasina resigned on Monday amid the violent protests that swept the country in the past few weeks. Hasina’s flight landed at the Hindon airbase near Delhi, and she is currently at a safe house at the airbase and will remain there for the time being.

Bangladesh witnessed extreme violence on Sunday, with 97 deaths, as protesters marched to Dhaka. The protesters stormed the Prime Minister’s residence as well as the parliament. The army announced that an interim government would take over in the country.