Timeline of events leading to Sheikh Hasina's resignation in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is on the brink of a military takeover as protests demanding Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation intensify, with over 300 deaths reported since the unrest began. Sources in Dhaka suggest that a temporary military administration may be imminent. Sources at the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi confirmed that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina stepped down and left the country for a safer place probably India.

Here are the timeline of events leading to Sheikh Hasina’s resignation in Bangladesh

July 1, 2024: Blockades Begin

University students initiated blockades, disrupting roads and railway lines. Their demand was for reforms in the quota system for public sector jobs, which they claimed favoured loyalists of Hasina’s ruling Awami League.
Having won a fifth term in January, Hasina dismissed the protests, stating students were “wasting their time”.

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July 16, 2024: Violence intensifies

Violence escalated with the first recorded deaths of six people following clashes between protesters and pro-government supporters in Dhaka. In response, Hasina’s government closed schools and universities nationwide.

July 18, 2024: PM Hasina rebuffed

Students rejected Hasina’s appeal for calm and continued to demand her resignation.
Protesters chanted “down with the dictator,” and torched the headquarters of Bangladesh Television along with other government buildings. The government imposed an internet blackout to curb the unrest.
Clashes left at least 32 people dead and hundreds injured, despite a curfew and soldier deployment.

July 21, 2024: Supreme Court verdict

Bangladesh’s Supreme Court ruled against reintroducing job quotas, a decision critics viewed as aligning with Hasina’s government. The verdict did not satisfy protesters’ demands to abolish job reservations for children of “freedom fighters” from Bangladesh’s 1971 independence war.

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August 4, 2024: Army sides with protesters

Hundreds of thousands clashed with government supporters again, resulting in 68 deaths, including 14 police officers. Former Army chief General Ikbal Karim Bhuiyan urged the government to withdraw troops and condemned the killings. Current Army chief Waker-uz-Zaman stated the armed forces “always stood by the people”.

August 5, 2024: Call for final protest

Leaders of the civil disobedience campaign called on supporters to march on Dhaka for a “final protest”.
The escalating confrontation with the government led to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigning and fleeing the capital, Dhaka.

Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina had won elections just a few weeks ago but today she was forced to resign & leave Bangladesh..

This is how the global left ecosystem works.. They're trying the same in India as well, all the protests are part of the same agenda... pic.twitter.com/077X6fh21h

— Mr Sinha (@MrSinha_) August 5, 2024

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country after hundreds of people were killed in a crackdown on demonstrations that began as protests against job quotas and swelled into a movement demanding her downfall https://t.co/LT0tIi1cpP pic.twitter.com/rl6oTuX85Q

— Reuters (@Reuters) August 5, 2024

Students win in Bangladesh, the authoritarian prime minister resigned and has fled the country after 15 years in power.

Students overthrew the government after weeks of protests against a job quota system that reserved up to 30% of government jobs for veterans' families. Nearly… pic.twitter.com/SMEhTwhuL3

— Anonymous (@YourAnonCentral) August 5, 2024