Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was on Monday given just 45 minutes by the Bangladesh Army to leave the country, sources said.
Sources said Hasina wanted to broadcast a message to the nation before leaving Bangladesh, but the army did not allow her to do so.
According to sources, there were two factions in the Bangladeshi army, one was in favour of Sheikh Hasina, while the other faction, comprising junior officers and around 60 retired officers, was against her.
The Army’s National Security Council met at around 1pm on Sunday and the army told Hasina that they would not stop the students’ march on Monday.
The situation was fine until 9 am on Monday, after which thousands of students entered Dhaka from the Gazipur border. According to sources, the situation worsened after this, after which the army gave Sheikh Hasina 45 minutes to leave the country.
Notably, Hasina had resigned on Monday. Hasina’s plane landed at Hindon airbase near Delhi amid violent protests across the country in the last few weeks and she is currently in the safe house at the airbase and will remain there for the time being.
There was fierce violence in Bangladesh on Sunday, in which 97 people died. Protesters also attacked the Prime Minister’s residence and Parliament. The army announced that an interim government would take power in the country.