INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
streets of the capital, Dhaka.What led to this?Students protested for fairer access to government jobs and were met with violence, including
the killing of nearly 300 people, sparking a broader movement for justice that has forced Hasina to step down.The students had originally
demanded the removal of a quota system that reserved 30% of government jobs for the families of people who fought for independence from
demands on quotas two weeks ago.The internet was entirely cut off during the worst of the violence but images that emerged showed police and
People in Dhaka have described nonstop night-time raids, which have led to 11,000 people being arrested.The raids continued overnight before
prime minister in the world, having been in power since 2009 and before that from 1996 to 2001.She led the party founded by her father,
In 1975 Hasina survived the assassination of her father and their whole family in a coup by army officers only because she and her sister
were in Europe at the time
especially in the garment sector, but many have felt the benefits are mostly concentrated on Dhaka and an extremely rich elite.Her rule has
also been characterised by growing levels of authoritarianism
Much of the opposition, especially the Bangladeshi Nationalist party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami, have been attacked and arrested
Extrajudicial killings have been widespread and journalists have said they feared doing the most basic reporting in case it was deemed to
reflect badly on the government.Elections under Hasina have had claims of election fraud and the most recent, in January, was boycotted by
after a bitter nine-month war during which Bangladesh claims 3 million people were killed and hundreds of thousands of women raped.The
the protectors of the independence legacy.There has long been a bitter and often violent divide between the Awami League and the main
declared independence and not Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.Hasina has also often used the collaboration of some groups with the Pakistani military
to denounce her opponents
that supported the Pakistani army.What happens next?The military has announced it has taken control and will be forming an interim
government until elections can be held
Many are hoping the country will not fall into the same patterns as before
The Awami League and BNP have tussled for power since the 1990s, when democracy was restored after a period of military rule, but the role
of students in the recent protests has raised hopes of an alternative to break the cycle.The military chief, Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman, has called
on protesters to return to their homes and promised an investigation into the killings.A helicopter reportedly took Hasina from Dhaka to
India and she is expected to seek asylum abroad.
This article first appeared/also appeared in theguardian.com
