Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina resigns, flees country as protesters storm palace: Report

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned and left the country on Monday, media reports said.

As more people were killed in some of the worst violence since the birth of the South Asian nation more than five decades ago. BBC Bangla reported that Sheikh Hasina is heading to Tripura capital in Agartala in India.

However, there was no official confirmation about Sheikh Hasina quitting and leaving Dhaka.

The prime minister – who has resigned – earlier left the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka on a helicopter with her sister, according to reports.

The private Jamuna television news channel reported that Sheikh Hasina was forced to quit as prime minister after massive protests against her government over a controversial quota system that reserved 30 per cent of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s War of Independence in 1971.

The army chief is expected to address the nation shortly, according to reports.

The government earlier ordered a complete internet shutdown as protestors asked the general public to join a “Long March to Dhaka”. However, a government agency gave a verbal order to start broadband internet around 1:15 on Monday.