Amid anti-government protests in Bangladesh, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country on Monday. Bangladesh Army Chief, Waker-uz-Zaman said in a televised address that the Army has formed an interim government.
Reportedly Hasina had sought India’s help to flee to abroad. Considering the friendly neighbouring ties, India is set to offer a safe passage to Hasina. She is likely to flee to London.
Sources confirmed that a C-130 aircraft with call sign AJAX1431 was spotted 10 km from the Indian border with Bangladesh and it is heading towards Delhi. Reportedly, Hasina's flight landed in Hindon Air Base in Ghaziabad.
During the speech, Zaman said that he is going to meet President Mohammed Shahabuddin and was hoping for a "solution" by the end of the day.
As of now, it is not clear who will head the government.
Zaman also urged the protesters to disperse calmly and there was no curfew imposed in Dhaka.
Hundreds of protesters stormed into Sheikh Hasina's official residence in Dhaka and vandalised the palace. Protesters also smashed a statue of her father Mujibur Rahman, a 1971 Liberation War hero, with hammers and set her party's offices on fire.
Her resignation ended her 15 years in power.
Video footage showed protesters vandalising and looting Hasina's official residence 'Ganabhaban' in the capital Dhaka. They were seen celebrating on the Ganabhaban premises waving their hands in the air. Many of them were seen leaving with many belongings of the palace.
They also attacked and vandalised the residence of Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal in the capital.
At least six people were killed on Monday in the fresh clash. Though police had barricaded the routes to Hasina's place with barbed wire, a huge crowd flooded the streets tearing down barriers, AFP reported.
Meanwhile, with Hasina heading to India amid unrest the Border Security Force (BSF) issued a "high alert" across all its formations along the India-Bangladesh border.
BSF Director General Daljit Singh Chawdhary and other senior commanders have landed in Kolkata to review the security situation.
Fresh clashes erupted in the country days after over 200 people were killed in violent clashes between the police and mostly student protesters demanding an end to the controversial quota system, reserving 30 per cent of government jobs for relatives of war veterans.