New Delhi: “Hasina falls, flees,” the headline on the front page of Bangladesh’s leading newspaper The Daily Star read on Tuesday (August 6), a day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country in wake of massive protests against her government, leading to an interim government being formed under the supervision of the army.
The Daily Star reported on its front page that “hundreds of thousands of jubilant people poured out into the streets of the capital, celebrating Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and departure.”
The Daily Star’s August 6 editorial, headlined “A new dawn rises on Bangladesh” said that the day will be remembered for generations to come because a 15-year-long authoritarian rule has finally come to an end. The editorial said that after Hasina’s fall, the country must strive to build a pro-people, inclusive society.
Prothom Alo, a leading Bengali newspaper in Bangladesh had the headline “Chatro-Jonotar Bijoy, Hasina r Bidai (victory of the students-public, Hasina’s exit) on its front page on August 6, along with the photos of student protesters and a report on student leaders saying that they will not accept a military-supported government.
Front page of Protom Alo, a leading Bengali newspaper in Bangladesh, a day after the regime change. Photo: Prothomalo.com
Another report on the front page said that 108 people lost their lives in one day amid the call given by protesters march to Dhaka.
The headline of the main story in the front page of the Dhaka Tribune on August 6 read “Sheikh Hasina steps down as PM, flies to India.”
Another story on the front page reported that Tarique Rehman, the acting chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will be returning to the country very soon.
Prothom Alo also carried a story in its front page about how even till the last moment before her departure Hasina had tried to latch on to power and wanted the army and police to crack down upon the protesters.
The piece said that Hasina had convened a meeting of army and police officials at her residence, who had briefed her that it was not possible to stop the protests by using violence. While some of the officials urged her to prepare for a transfer of power, Hasina remained adamant to not step down. Finally, after speaking with her sister Sheikh Rehana and talking to her son Sajeeb Wajed, the former PM had agreed to step down. While Hasina wanted to record a message for the public, officials told her that there was not enough time and the protesters would breach the gates of her residence in 45 minutes.
Thereafter, Hasina along with her sister left for India in a helicopter, says the piece in Prothom Alo.
The main story on the editorial page of the Dhaka Tribune is headlined “Time to start over”, and says that moving forward, the country must act constitutionally, consultatively and inclusively, ensuring that above all the rule of law remains sacrosanct.
Another Bengali newspaper, Bangladesh Pratidin had the headline, Raktasomudre swoiracharer paton (The fall of tyranny in a sea of blood).
Front page of Bangladesh Pratidin on August 6. Photo: ebdpratidin.com
The Bengali newspaper Jugantor carried the headline “Palalen Sheikh Hasina-Rehana, Chhatra-jonatar gonovuttane prodhanmontrir podotyag (Sheikh Hasina-Rehana fled. In the mass uprising of students and the public, the Prime Minister resigned) in its front page.
Front page of Jugantor on August 6. Photo: Jugantor.com
“The police’s actions—such as taking quota reform movement coordinators into custody, torture, forcibly declaring the end of the protests, and mass arrests in the name of combating terrorism—created an environment where the fall of the government became inevitable,” said the newspaper’s editorial, titled “Victory of the Students and Public: The Need to Avoid Vengeance.”
English newspaper New Age’s headline read Hasina resigns, flees to India, while it’s editorial said that “killing of students and ordinary people was the nail she invited on her coffin”, owing to which her regime fell.