PM Sheikh Hasina resigns and leaves Bangladesh, possibly for Tripura: Reports

Dhaka: Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday resigned and left the country, several news reports said amid massive protests against her government that claimed more than 106 lives in the last two days.

However, there was no official confirmation about her quitting and leaving Dhaka.

BBC reported that Hasina left on a helicopter for Agartala in Tripura. The Associated Press said she has resigned but gave no other details. However, the Ministry of External Affairs or local officials in Agartala refused to confirm the report. Tripura Home Secretary P.K. Chakravarty told PTI "We have no such information."

With the situation in the country fluid and uncertain, the Bangladeshi army chief was said to address the nation later Monday.

The private Jamuna television news channel reported that Hasina was forced to quit as prime minister after massive protests against her government over a controversial quota system that reserved 30 per cent of government jobs for relatives of veterans who fought in Bangladesh's War of Independence in 1971.

The channel said that Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana left the country in a helicopter. Hours later, hundreds of protesters stormed the prime minister's official residence.

The government earlier ordered a complete internet shutdown as protestors asked the general public to join a "Long March to Dhaka". However, a government agency gave a verbal order to start broadband internet around 1:15 on Monday.

Hasina, the 76-year-old daughter of Bangladesh founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, had been ruling the strategically located South Asian nation since 2009. She was elected for a record fourth consecutive term and fifth overall term in the 12th general election held in January, amid a boycott by the main opposition party Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of former premier Khaleda Zia and its allies.