‘I’m Taking All Responsibility, Please Cooperate’: Bangladesh Army Chief In Televised Address After Hasina Overthrown | WATCH

Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina on Monday resigned from her position and fled the country in a Bangladesh Air Force helicopter, after over 100 people were killed in violent protests against the Hasina government over the last two days.

‘I’m taking all responsibility (of the country), please cooperate,” Bangladesh Army Chief General Waqar-uz-Zaman said in a televised address to Bangladesh citizens on Monday after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was overthrown and fled the country.

In his address, General Zaman announced that Sheikh Hasina has resigned and an interim government is taking over, urging protesters to end the violence and cooperate to restore peace and normalcy in the country.

Bangladesh’s army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman has addressed the nation, confirming that PM Sheikh Hasina has resigned and that an interim government will run the country. pic.twitter.com/XQ0b0HMY4k

— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) August 5, 2024

The Bangladesh Army chief said he had met political leaders and told them the Army would take over responsibility for law and order in the country. He also asserted that he had asked both the Army and the Police not to fire at protesters.

General Zaman also urged restraint and asked protesters to end the violence.

Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina on Monday resigned from her position and fled the country in a Bangladesh Air Force helicopter, after over 100 people were killed in violent protests against the Hasina government over the last two days.

As per latest reports, Sheikh Hasina landed in Tripura capital Agartala in India and may be headed to London to seek political asylum.

Meanwhile, in wake of the crisis in Bangladesh, the Border Security Force (BSF) Monday issued a “high alert” across all its formations along the 4,096-km India-Bangladesh border. Officials said BSF director general (acting) Daljit Singh Chawdhary and other senior commanders landed in Kolkata to review the security situation.

The BSF has directed all its field commanders to be “on ground” and “deploy all personnel on border duty immediately”, a senior officer told news agency PTI.

The leaves of all the personnel posted along the Bangladesh border were cancelled in the last few weeks after Bangladesh witnessed massive protests and now all units have been asked to “acquire an all alert posture”, he said.

The BSF guards the Indian front on the eastern flank of the country that runs along five states.

West Bengal shares a total of 2,217 kilometres of border with Bangladesh, along with Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Assam (262 km) and Mizoram (318 km).

(With PTI inputs)