Regular life has been upended across Bangladesh. Most of the garment factories that power the country’s economy did not open Monday. Flights into the capital, Dhaka, were canceled as its main airport temporarily shut down operations. Businesses shut their doors as hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets of major cities, blaring horns, chanting and setting fire to vehicles and buildings.
Speaking to the BBC, Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, said his mother had left for her own safety and did not have plans to lead the country again. “She has turned Bangladesh around,” Joy said, defending his mother’s legacy. “When she took over power, it was considered a failing state. It was a poor country. Until today, it’s considered one of the rising tigers of Asia.”
The protests that have gripped Bangladesh over the past month started in opposition to a government policy that reserves half of civil service jobs for certain groups but evolved into a broad-based opposition movement against Hasina, who has become increasingly authoritarian, rights groups and security analysts say. Since taking office in 2009, she has been accused of manipulating the country’s elections — including by suing and jailing political opponents — to maintain her grip on power.
At least 300 people were killed in clashes between the two sides over the past month, the majority “shot dead by police, paramilitaries and members of the ruling Awami League,” according to the International Crisis Group. Hasina showed little indication of backing down as the toll climbed, saying as recently as last week that the protesters were “not students, but terrorists.”