In Sri Lanka Redux, another South Asian leader fled the country.
by Rahul K Bhonsle
In “Sri Lanka Redux,” another South Asian leader has fled the country.
In a rapid development in Bangladesh’s political landscape, a military helicopter carrying Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who had resigned, took off from Gono Bhawan at around 2:30 p.m. on July 5.
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| Protesters in Bangladesh rally as Prime Minister Hasina resigns, marking a pivotal moment in the nation's political landscape. |
At the time, Sheikh Rehana, her sister, was with her, according to reports by AFP.
Sources indicated that the helicopter set out for West Bengal in India. This comes as protesters entered Gono Bhawan, the official residence of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
Hasina’s resignation followed demands from protesters who had held her responsible for the violent targeting of the student movement.
AFP reported that Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana had reached a safe location, presumably somewhere in India. It is unclear if the military helicopter was from the Bangladesh Air Force.
This scene is a grim reminder of how Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled Colombo in July 2022 under similar circumstances when protesters stormed his palace.
Bangladesh’s Chief of Army Staff, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, has announced that an interim government, with the participation of all parties, will be formed soon after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation.
He said: “After holding a fruitful discussion with all political parties, we have decided to form an interim government. We will speak with President Mohammed Shahabuddin now to resolve the situation.”
Professor Asif Nazrul from the Law Department of Dhaka University has been asked to issue a statement requesting that the students call off their protest.
No members of the Awami League were present at the meeting with political parties at the army headquarters.
Senior Co-Chairman of the Jatiya Party, Anisul Islam Mahmud, and the party’s Secretary General, Mujibul Haque Chunnu, were also invited to the meeting.
The Army Chief called for a halt to all violence in the name of protest and promised that the new government would ensure justice for all the deaths that occurred during the Anti-Discriminatory Student Movement.
The President of Bangladesh, Mohammed Shahabuddin, continues to hold office, and it is anticipated that he will seek guidance from the army. A national government is likely, though the Awami League is unlikely to participate.
Opposition parties are expected to seek fresh elections; however, prior to that, a technocratic government is anticipated to restore order and create a favourable atmosphere for holding polls.
In the interim, it is expected that the Army will play a defining political role, though it may not come to the forefront. Instead, it will support either a technocratic government followed by an all-party government.
The role of the President is also significant, as he has not resigned. However, there will likely be future demands for his resignation, even though the army chief may seek to maintain a degree of stability.
The situation is not new to Bangladesh; General Moeen Uddin Ahmed Moeen, the then Chief of Army Staff, was the key force behind the declaration of a state of emergency on January 11, 2007, widely known as the 1/11 phenomenon.
Brigadier (Retired) Rahul K Bhonsle, MSc, MPhil, MBA is an Indian army military veteran with 30 years active field experience in counter militancy and terrorism operations. He is presently Director of Sasia Security-Risks.com, a South Asian security risk and knowledge management consultancy which specializes in future scenarios, military capacity building and conflict trends in South Asia.
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