Sheikh Hasina did not want to resign as Bangladesh Prime Minister and wanted security forces to intensify the crackdown on nationwide protests. Security bosses said the protests could not be contained by force, according to a report in Prothom Alo newspaper. The report details what transpired at the Prime Minister’s official residence before her last-minute escape in a military aircraft, shortly before hundreds of protesters stormed in and went on a rampage.
Morning Meet With Security Chiefs
The Awami League leader called the top officers of the security establishment and police force to her residence. The death count was rising, and some of her advisors had tried to persuade her to transfer power to the Army. But the 76-year-old five-time Prime Minister remained adamant. She asked the forces to strengthen the curfew already in place. On the streets, however, the situation was changing rapidly. Despite the curfew, protesters had started gathering at various spots in Dhaka.
Tensions Rise During the Meeting
At her meeting with the security bosses, Sheikh Hasina questioned why they had not been able to contain the protests. She pointed to visuals of protesters climbing atop police vehicles and asked why the forces were not cracking down harder. At one point, she reminded them that she had elevated them to their positions because she trusted them. During the meeting, Sheikh Hasina praised the police’s response to the protests, but the police chief conveyed that the situation had reached a point where the police wouldn’t be able to contain it for long.
Son Convinces Hasina To Leave
The security forces tried to explain to her that more force was not the answer, but the veteran leader did not budge. The officers then spoke to Sheikh Hasina’s sister Rehana in another room and urged her to convince the Prime Minister to step down. Rehana spoke to Hasina, but that did not help. At this point, Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy stepped in. Based in the US, Joy spoke to his mother and managed to convince her to resign. Joy later stated, “She wanted to stay, she did not want to leave the country at all. But we kept insisting that it wasn’t safe for her. We were concerned for her physical safety first; so we persuaded her to leave.”
Also read: India Monitors Bangladesh Crisis As All-Party Meeting Discusses Safety Measures
Escape and Aftermath
A day after Sheikh Hasina fled to India, the plane that flew her to Ghaziabad’s Hindon air base took off without her. The C-130 J transport aircraft left the Hindon air base with seven military personnel on board, returning to its base in Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina landed in India at the Hindon airbase and was reportedly taken to a safe house. She is expected to fly to London and seek political asylum.
Her stay in India and the situation in Bangladesh prompted hectic activities in the Indian security apparatus. On Monday night, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security. Sheikh Hasina also met India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, with senior military and intelligence officers present.
After Hasina left Bangladesh, a mob attacked her official residence, vandalized it, and looted her personal belongings. They also damaged the statue of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh’s independence hero and Hasina’s father. Hasina had been facing protests from students over quotas in government jobs. Over 250 students and security personnel died in bloody clashes that went on for weeks before her resignation.
