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Bangladesh protesters storm Sheikh Hasina's residence, loot chicken, fish and…
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's official palace was stormed following weeks of violent demonstrations and clashes with Bangladeshi security forces.
Hundreds of Bangladeshi protesters stormed into Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's official residence as the leader's whereabouts were unknown, after demonstrators defied a military curfew to march in the capital Dhaka.
TV channel images showed hundreds of people ransacking the building and taking away chicken, fish, vegetables and furniture.
The place storm at Sheikh Hasina's official residence comes following weeks of violent demonstrations and clashes with security forces.
Also read: Bangladesh crisis: Sheikh Hasina lands at Ghaziabad airport, will fly next to…
The protests began peacefully in late June, as students sought an end to a quota system for government jobs, but turned violent after clashes between protesters and police and pro-government activists at Dhaka University.
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Thousands of student-led protesters marched to Dhaka on Monday to pressure Sheikh Hasina to step down, defying a curfew. The march was brought forward after clashes on Sunday between pro-government supporters and groups left more than 100 people dead, some of them police officers.
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The BBC reported that Jubilant crowds have taken to the streets in Bangladesh, celebrating the departure of the long-term Prime Minister. Crowds waved flags as some demonstrators danced on top of a parked tank in the capital Dhaka, news agency AFP reported.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh's Channel24 broadcast footage of ecstatic protesters breaking into Hasina's official residence in Dhaka, with some waving to the camera as they streamed into the compound.
What started out in late June as peaceful protests seeking to abolish a government jobs quota has now turned into deadly unrest in recent weeks with demonstrators now seeking to oust Hasina who has vowed to go after those spreading anarchy. The clashes have continued to distract Hasina’s government as it seeks more funds from creditors and the International Monetary Fund to bolster dwindling foreign-exchange reserves.
Bangladesh has taken a $10 billion hit to the economy from the curfews and the internet blackouts. This time around, the nation is again shutting government and private offices, including banks, for three days starting on Monday and mobile internet services have been switched off.
Hasina’s office on Sunday urged students and parents to return home, saying “militant attacks” took place in parts of Bangladesh. “The authorities will take tough action against the attackers,” her office said in a message to the media.
