Bangladesh’s army chief has announced the formation of an interim government

Transcript

A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:

The former prime minister of Bangladesh was outed from power today, and she's flown to India - this after the deadliest protests in her country's history.

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MARTÍNEZ: On the line to tell us more is NPR's international correspondent Diaa Hadid. She covers Bangladesh and the rest of South Asia from her base in India. So there have been protests there for weeks. What has happened in Bangladesh today?

DIAA HADID, BYLINE: Well, A, what's clear is that this is the most consequential moment Bangladesh has seen for decades. The former prime minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, was pushed out of power. She had ruled for over 15 years winning four back to back elections. She was increasingly perceived as autocratic. And today, Bangladesh's army chief effectively ousted her by announcing she had resigned and that he would form an interim government. But even as people waited for the army chief to speak, it was clear what the outcome was. Tens of thousands of protesters were in the capitol Dhaka. Some had already stormed the prime minister's residence. A spokesperson for the leading opposition party sent us images that had been secretly taken that appear to show Sheikh Hasina leaving by helicopter. India neighbors Bangladesh on three sides, and the former prime minister has good relations with this government, and so it appears that she is now in India.

MARTÍNEZ: OK, now, what is happening on the streets?

HADID: Well, the army chief has appealed for calm, but people are out - like, they're giddy. They're cheering. They're chanting. Some are smashing images of the former Prime Minister and her father, the man who led Bangladesh to independence.

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HADID: They're shouting, she's escaped, she's escaped, referring to the prime minister, the former prime minister. But perhaps this is the most striking thing. Bangladesh is a country that was once fiercely proud of its independence and the man who led that struggle, Mujibur Rahman. But now it seems Bangladesh has turned a corner, and it's rewriting its own history.

MARTÍNEZ: Tell us - actually, remind us of the events that have led up to this moment.

HADID: It's remarkable. One analyst described this to me as an accidental revolution. This began in early July when students protested to demand a reduction of government job quotas that were assigned to descendants of Army veterans. That was in early July, and students were arguing that those jobs were being handed over to cronies of the government. But those students were violently attacked, and over weeks, the government imposed an internet blackout. There was a shoot-on-site curfew. And by Sunday, more than 300 people were reported killed, and that seemed to be the spark for today. The former prime minister simply lost legitimacy to rule.

MARTÍNEZ: Wow. A lot happening. That's NPR's Diaa Hadid updating us on these developments in Bangladesh. Diaa, thank you.

HADID: You're welcome, A. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.