As Sheikh Hasina flees, ex-Bangladesh PM Khaleda Zia's release ordered

Dhaka/IBNS: Bangladeshi President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Monday ordered the release of jailed former Prime Minister and key opposition leader Khaleda Zia, hours after her arch-rival Sheikh Hasina was forced to flee the country following the takeover by the country's army.

IBNS

Aug 05, 2024

5 min read

In a statement, the president's press team said a meeting led by Shahabuddin had "decided unanimously to free Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia immediately".

Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman, along with the head of the navy and airforce, and top leaders of several opposition parties including the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami party, attended the meeting.

"The meeting has also decided to free all the people who have been arrested during the student protests," the statement added.

"The meeting decided to form an interim government immediately," it added.

Khaleda Zia, 78, is in poor health and confined to a hospital after she was sentenced to 17 years in prison for graft in 2018.

Earlier Monday, the 76-year-old five-time Prime Minister was forced to resign from her position after more than 300 people died in violent protests over a quota for government jobs in that country.

On Monday, the Bangladesh Army, which gave Sheikh Hasina 45 minutes to resign after her government couldn't control the violence, took charge of the country. In a televised address Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman said the military will form an "interim government" and told protesters to stand down.

"There is a crisis. I have met Opposition leaders and we have decided to form an interim government to run this country. I take all responsibility and promise to protect your life and property. Your demands will be fulfilled. Please stop the violence," the Army chief said.

Earlier in the day protesters broke into Gonobhaban - the Dhaka residence of the Prime Minister.

According to local media, as many as 400,000 protesters were on the streets but it was impossible to verify the figure. Soldiers and police with armoured vehicles had barricaded routes to Hasina's office with barbed wire, media reports said, but vast crowds flooded the streets, tearing down barriers.

However, by then Hasina fled the country. She landed at the Hindon Air Force base in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad. There are no reports yet if Modi will meet Hasina.

Sheikh Hasina is expected to leave for London later where she may seek political asylum, NDTV reported quoting sources.

Sources told news agency ANI Sheikh Hasina's plane, a Bangladesh Air Force C-130 military transport, is parked near the Indian Air Force's C-17 and C-130J Super Hercules aircraft hangars.