Bangladesh: What's next after PM Sheikh Hasina forced out?

Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country on Monday, after weeks of massive student protests and escalating violence that has so far claimed hundreds of lives.

It marked an abrupt and dramatic end to her 15-year rule.

After the news broke, the streets of the capital, Dhaka, and other major cities were filled with celebrations. Jubilant crowds waved flags, some dancing on top of a tank in the streets of Dhaka before hundreds broke through the gates of Hasina's official residence.

'It is time to stop the violence'

Bangladesh's army chief, General Waker-uz-Zaman, said in a televised speech that the military would form an interim government. It was not immediately clear if he would lead it or who would join the caretaker administration.

"The country has suffered a lot, the economy has been hit, many people have been killed — it is time to stop the violence," Zaman said, dressed in military fatigues.

"I hope after my speech, the situation will improve," he said.

Zaman said he had held talks with the main opposition parties and civil society members but not Hasina's Awami League party.

It's been less than seven months since Hasina swept a national election in January, celebrating a fourth straight term in power and fifth overall. The vote was boycotted by the main opposition.

But relentless and violent protests over the past few weeks and the inability of the security forces to put an end to them drew the curtain on Hasina's rule.

The demonstrations began in June after student groups demanded the scrapping of a controversial quota system in government jobs. But it escalated into a major uprising against Hasina's government.

The unrest has so far claimed the lives of about 300 people since mid-July, according to local media reports.

Will there be a smooth transition?

It's unclear if the transition toward a military-led interim administration will be smooth.

Some student protesters have already said they won't accept any government without their representation.

"Representatives of student protesters have to be part of the interim government. Otherwise, we will not accept it," Asif Mahmud, a student leader, told DW.

He also underlined that they want to have a say not only on the structure of government but also on policies.

Z. I. Khan Panna, a senior lawyer and human rights activist, also expressed discontent with the army chief's statement.

"We have not received any concrete plans from the army chief. What he said was a temporary solution," Panna told DW. "The people he spoke to over the formation of the interim government, what is their level of public support? I don't think people will accept that."

However, a statement released by the military's public relations department said the army chief would soon hold direct talks with representatives of protesting students and teachers.

The concept of a "caretaker government" is not new to Bangladesh. From 1990 to 2008, during general elections, the elected government ceded power to an interim, technocratic administration, which was tasked with holding elections in a free and fair manner. This system was scrapped in 2011.

Some observers are now calling for a similar interim administration to take over until elections are held.

Military 'should not run the government'

Meanwhile, a group of 21 prominent people, including rights activists and lawyers, has called for the interim administration to take measures to address the causes of mass public dissatisfaction, which led to Hasina's ouster.

In a statement, they said the accumulated public anger over long-standing electoral fraud, widespread corruption, economic mismanagement and repression has now erupted into a mass movement.

"Power should be transferred to a national or interim government through constitutional means or by amending the constitution if necessary, following discussions with the protesting students and political parties," the group said.

The group also stressed that the military should not run the country and should instead hand over power to a civilian interim government and return to the barracks.

Shahdin Malik is one of the signatories of the statement. Speaking to DW, he said the military's role is to protect Bangladesh from external threats and not to govern the country.

"Military should protect the country from external forces during a war. Their role is not to run the country," Malik said.

Harun Ur Rashid Swapan, DW reporter in Dhaka, contributed to this report.

Edited by: Srinivas Mazumdaru