Bangladesh’s Prime Minister resigns, flees from the country amid protest

Amid violent protests in Bangladesh, reports say Sheikh Hasina, the country’s Prime Minister has resigned and fled to Finland.

This comes as protesters took to streets demanding her resignation, with the death toll reaching 100 in the violence that shook the nation.

“She and her sister have left Ganabhaban (the Prime Minister’s official residence) for a safer place,” news agency AFP said quoting a source.

“She wanted to record a speech. But she could not get an opportunity to do that,” the source said.

Bangladesh has been marred by protests and violence that began last month after student groups demanded scrapping of a controversial quota system in government jobs.

Bangladeshis have been protesting against 30 per cent quota for government jobs given to families of the 1971 war veterans.

Owing to violence, the Supreme Court had decided to reduce the quota to 5 per cent. However, that didn’t help end the protests.

For Sheikh Hasina, who has been the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for five terms, this comes a huge jolt.