Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country as protesters stormed the presidential palace in Dhaka

The protests, which began amongst students, were originally against the privileging of descendants of those who fought for Bangladesh’s independence in government positions. However, they continued despite Bangladesh’s supreme court striking down the law, and despite many arrested student leaders calling for their end.

This has not been without a high price among protesters, however. Bangladesh’s security forces have killed hundreds of protesters, including over 32 children according to UNICEF. Violence has also been inflicted by the paramilitary student group supporting the government, the Awami League party, which allegedly kicked off the violent protests.

An anarchist group in Bangladesh, Auraj, has celebrated the resignation of Sheikh Hasina and encouraged the protesting students to “decide the future of Bangladesh for privacy and democracy.” They too have recognised the potential risks of this revolutionary moment, warning against “looting” and “attacking minorities” corrupting the “great achievement“.

Though the government has fallen, the future of Bangladesh and Bangladeshi democracy remains uncertain. Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced in a televised address to the nation that an interim government would be formed. “I am taking responsibility now and we will go to the president and ask to form an interim government to lead the country in the meantime,” he said. The role that the army will play in any new government is not clear, but Waker-Uz-Zaman’s address leaves little room to doubt that they will play an important role in the interim.

~ Gabriel Fonten