Fall of a controversial icon – “Iron Lady” flees into exile

She was the world’s longest-serving head of government – now Bangladesh’s “Iron Lady” had to flee in a helicopter.

Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled her homeland into exile on Monday. The 76-year-old, known as the “Iron Lady” and having served four consecutive terms in office, was the world’s longest-serving head of government. Her resignation follows mass protests that are currently shaking the country.

The army in the South Asian country announced a “revolution”. “We will form a transitional government,” said army chief Waker-Uz-Zaman in a televised speech to the nation on Monday. To do this, he will speak to the main opposition parties and representatives of civil society – but not to Hasina’s party. Initial talks took place on Monday with the country’s president, Mohammed Shahabuddin. He then confirmed the formation of a transitional government.

Video | Massive protests: Angry crowd storms Prime Minister’s office

Source: reuters

The president had previously announced that he had ordered the immediate release of former head of government and opposition leader Khaleda Zia from prison. Detained demonstrators are also to be released. The military also announced that the curfew would end on Tuesday morning (local time). This would allow offices, shops and schools to reopen.

Hasina is an important political figure in Bangladesh. The 76-year-old was the world’s longest-serving prime minister, having ruled since 2009 and previously from 1996 to 2001. She led the party of her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who is considered the founding father of Bangladesh and around whom a veritable personality cult still exists today.

Hasina survived the assassination of her father and family in a military coup in 1975 because she and her sister were in Europe at the time. She returned to Bangladesh in 1981 and became leader of the party to which her father belonged, the Awam League.

The secular Muslim began her political career as an icon of the democracy movement. During her time in office, there was progress in the economy and in the development sector, but critics, primarily young people in the country, complained about an increasing concentration of wealth in a small elite and the capital Dhaka.

There were also accusations of growing authoritarianism, attacks on opposition members and excessive use of violence. One of the most controversial aspects of her time in office were recurring allegations of electoral fraud. Hasina was confirmed in office in January in an election boycotted by a large part of the opposition.

“The country has suffered greatly, the economy has been weakened, many people have been killed – it is time to put an end to the violence,” the army chief stressed. He hopes that the situation in the country will now calm down.

The demonstrators originally took to the streets against a quota system for the allocation of jobs in the public sector, which they believed favored supporters of Hasina. The resignation of the head of government, who has been in office since 2009, then became the goal of the protest movement, which was joined by more and more people from all walks of life. Film stars, well-known musicians and former generals also expressed their support, as did companies in the textile industry, which is important for the country’s economy.

During the protests that led to the toppling of the ‘Iron Lady’, demonstrators were brutally attacked. According to the latest police figures, at least 66 more people were killed on Monday alone. According to figures available to AFP, a total of at least 366 people have been killed since the anti-government protests began in July – 94 people died on Sunday alone.