Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned and fled the country, after anti-government protests in which hundreds of people have been killed.
Reports say she and her sister have been taken by army helicopter to safety. Hasina, who has led Bangladesh since 2009, is onboard a helicopter heading to the Indian city of Agartala.
Huge crowds of cheering protesters stormed her official residence in the capital Dhaka, despite a curfew and internet clampdown.
At least 90 people were killed on Sunday in clashes between police and protesters, taking the death toll in recent weeks to more than 300.
The bloodshed is some of the worst the South Asian country has seen since it came into being in 1971.
The student protest began in July with calls to abolish civil service job quotas, but spiralled into demands for Hasina to quit after over two decades in power.
The UN’s human rights chief, Volker Türk, called for an end to the “shocking violence” and urged restraint from Bangladeshi politicians and security forces.
He expressed particular concern over a mass march planned in Dhaka on Monday, warning of a risk of “further loss of life and wider destruction”.
“The government must cease targeting those participating peacefully in the protest movement, immediately release those arbitrarily detained, restore full internet access, and create conditions for meaningful dialogue,” Mr Turk added.
The continuing effort to suppress popular discontent, including through the excessive use of force, and the deliberate spread of misinformation and incitement to violence, must immediately cease,” Mr Türk added.
Amid calls for her resignation, Ms Hasina sounded defiant. Speaking after a meeting with security chiefs, she said the protesters were “not students but terrorists who are out to destabilise the nation”.
On Sunday, Law and Justice Minister Anisul Huq told the Newsmen that authorities were showing “restraint”.
“If we had not shown restraint, there would have been a bloodbath. I guess our patience has limits,” he added.
In the capital, Dhaka, access to internet on mobile devices has been suspended.
Deaths and injuries have been reported across the country, including the northern districts of Bogra, Pabna and Rangpur.
Thousands of people gathered in a main square in Dhaka and there have been violent incidents in other parts of the city.
“The whole city has turned into a battleground,” a policeman, who asked not to be named, told the AFP news agency. He said a crowd of several thousand protesters had set fire to cars and motorcycles outside a hospital.
Asif Mahmud, a leading figure in the nationwide civil disobedience campaign, called on protesters to march on Dhaka on Monday.
“The time has come for the final protest”, he said.
Students Against Discrimination, a group behind the anti-government demonstrations, urged people not to pay taxes or any utility bills.
The students have also called for a shutdown of all factories and public transport.
