Anti-government protests that left at least 91 people dead and hundreds injured on Sunday alone have forced Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to tender her resignation and flee the country. Hasina’s resignation came after thousands of protesters stormed the prime minister’s official residence in the capital city of Dhaka on Sunday, August 4.

For weeks, tension in the South Asian country of over 170 million people has been high, with over 300 people killed, according to news agency AFP, as citizens demand the resignation of Prime Minister Hasina, who has been in power since 2009.

How the Protest Began In Bangladesh

The recent protests, led by students and demonstrators, began in July as university undergraduates demanded the scrapping of quotas for government jobs, which required that at least 33 percent of jobs be reserved for relatives of veterans who fought for independence from Pakistan in 1971.

Although protesters’ demands were largely met, with the government conceding and adjusting the quotas, the protest has since transformed into larger calls for Prime Minister Hasina to vacate her seat.

Government Response to the Protest

Although the government imposed a curfew over the weekend, it failed to quell the unrest.

According to reports, police and military forces used excessive force against protesters, including live rounds, tear gas, and bamboo sticks.

“The government must cease targeting those participating peacefully in the protest movement, immediately release those arbitrarily detained, restore full internet access, and create conditions for meaningful dialogue,” United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk said in a statement on Sunday.

Sunday’s protest resulted in the highest single-day death toll in recent Bangladeshi history, surpassing the 67 deaths reported on July 19. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that at least 32 children were killed during protests last month.

What You Should Know About Sheikh Hasina’s 15-Year Rule

Sheikh Hasina, the daughter of Bangladesh’s first President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who is regarded as the ‘Father of the Nation,’ was born on September 28, 1947, to the Bengali Muslim Sheikh family of Tungipara in East Bengal.

However, on August 15, 1975, during the Bangladeshi coup d’état that saw the assassination of her father, Hasina’s entire family, except for her husband, children, and sister, was killed.

She was forced into exile and sought asylum in India, where she stayed with her family until she returned to Bangladesh in May 1981.

Although she formed the Awami League while still in exile, it was not until 1996 that she became the country’s Prime Minister after being in and out of detention under the autocratic rule of military leader Hussain Muhammad Ershad.

After her party lost the election in 2001, Hasina made a comeback as Prime Minister in 2009.

Although some believe that Hasina has transformed Bangladesh by building roads, bridges, factories, and metro rails, making the country one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, many citizens are yet to see the impact of her 15-year rule.

Around 18 million young Bangladeshis are looking for jobs, despite 25 million people having been lifted out of poverty in the last two decades.

During Hasina’s rule, Bangladesh has become a powerhouse of ready-to-wear clothing exports, exporting around $40 billion worth of clothes to the global market.

With her resignation, the military has declared an intention to form an interim government.

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