Amid the deteriorating law and order situation in Bangladesh, the Border Security Force (BSF) has issued a high alert along the India-Bangladesh border. According to a senior BSF officer, acting BSF Director General Daljit Singh Chawdhary and other senior officials have arrived in Kolkata to oversee the situation. The chaos follows the resignation and departure of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, as confirmed by Army Chief Waker uz Zaman. An interim government is set to take over amid massive protests against Hasina's government that have claimed over 106 lives in the last two days.
Sources indicate that Hasina has landed in Agartala, India. However, the Ministry of External Affairs and local officials in Agartala have not confirmed this report. "We have no such information," said Tripura Home Secretary P.K. Chakravarty in a statement to PTI.
Hasina submitted her resignation to President Shahabuddin Ahmed at 12:00 noon. In response to her resignation, millions of people have begun a victory march in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. To prevent any escape by government officials, Dhaka airport has been sealed.
Local media reported that Sheikh Hasina departed from Bangabhaban at around 2:30 PM on Monday on a military helicopter, accompanied by her younger sister, Sheikh Rehana, heading to a "safer place."
The unrest began on Sunday morning when protesters under the banner of Students Against Discrimination demanded Hasina's resignation over a controversial job quota system. The demonstrations quickly escalated into violent clashes with supporters of the ruling Awami League, including Chhatra League and Jubo League activists.
According to Bengali-language newspaper Prothom Alo, at least 101 people, including 14 policemen, were killed in clashes on Sunday. The escalating violence forced authorities to cut off mobile internet and enforce an indefinite nationwide curfew.
Additional clashes on Sunday resulted in the deaths of at least six people in the Jatrabari and Dhaka Medical College areas, as reported by The Daily Star newspaper. Students from various educational institutions gathered at Dhaka Central Shaheed Minar to participate in the 'March to Dhaka' programme, prompting police to fire tear gas to disperse the crowds.
With the situation in Bangladesh remaining volatile, the BSF's high alert aims to secure the border and prevent any potential spillover of unrest into India. The interim government's response and future developments in the region will be closely monitored.
