() – Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned on Monday after weeks of deadly anti-government demonstrations in the South Asian country.
The announcement by Bangladesh army chief General Waker-uz-Zaman came after protesters stormed the prime minister’s official residence in the capital Dhaka.
Images showed flames coming from vehicles near Hasina’s house, while police were unable to contain the crowds heading towards the neighborhood.
Earlier in the day, the army and police had attacked protesters gathering in the area, according to a journalist working for in Dhaka.
At least 91 people were killed and hundreds injured on Sunday in clashes between police and protesters demanding the abolition of quotas for public jobs and the resignation of the prime minister. Opponents claim that public service employment quotas are discriminatory.
Sunday’s death toll, including 13 police officers, was the highest in a single day of protests in the country’s recent history. The number surpassed the 67 deaths recorded on July 19, when students took to the streets against the quotas, Reuters reported. At least 32 children died during protests last month, UNICEF reported Friday.
Widespread unrest – which also rocked the cities of Rajshahi, Barisal and Chittagong, among others – led the government to impose an indefinite curfew across the country over the weekend. Meanwhile, human rights groups accused authorities of using excessive force against protesters, a charge the government denies.
The army will form a caretaker government after Hasina resigns, according to its boss, who asked the students “to keep the peace” and help them.
He added that “the military will not shoot anyone, the police will not shoot anyone.”
Police opened fire on protesters in Dhaka earlier in the day, according to a journalist working for , as security forces have come under scrutiny for unleashing a wave of brutality against protesters.
According to the journalist, at least four people were injured on Monday while protesters gathered at the Dhaka Medical College. One of those people was shot in the head.
Protesters told that the army was blocking the Bakshibazar gate of Dhaka Medical College. Police also used tear gas, according to a protester on the ground.
Students and protesters on Dhaka’s university campus and at the Shaheed Minar, the capital’s national monument, were beaten by police as they gathered there.
Protesters claimed that police had attempted to break up the crowd by “brutally beating them” with bamboo sticks and using tear gas.
“15 minutes ago there was direct firing in the Shahbag area. We do not have an estimate of how many were injured. It’s not over yet. Near Motijhil Shantinagar, tear gas has been fired at people,” a protester told .
Elsewhere in Dhaka, the military has also fired warning shots into the sky and towards protesters.
Details and videos are scarce, as Bangladesh is in the midst of a “near total nationwide internet shutdown following earlier social media and mobile outages,” according to data from Netblocks, a global internet monitor.
A video posted on social media and verified by showed security forces launching live projectiles into the air near protesters on Dhaka’s N1 highway.
Protesters in Dhaka told that the university campus was surrounded by armed forces.
Journalist Tanbirul Miraj Ripon reported from Dhaka and ‘s Isaac Yee from Hong Kong. ‘s Manveena Suri and Esha Mitra contributed reporting.
Add Comment