Why is the army speaking for Bangladesh following PM Sheikh Hasina's resignation?
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00:00Joining us, Arif Ullah from France24's InfoMigrants website.
00:05Thanks for being with us.
00:07You've been monitoring developments in your native Bangladesh, obviously, the last couple
00:11of days.
00:12It really has spiked in the last 24 hours, more than 100 killed.
00:16Let's begin with that image we saw there of the helicopter, which we presume was the one
00:20taking Sheikh Hasina to India.
00:23Do we know any more at this point?
00:24Yeah, I just see some updates regarding the formation of caretaker government as declared
00:32by head of military.
00:34So he said he needs some couple of days to talk with president to form a government,
00:39a caretaker government or interim government.
00:43But there are some speculations regarding some names of who will be the head of this
00:48government.
00:49But the students are demanding a pro-democratic government.
00:55Why is it that it's the military and not the civilian president who made this announcement
01:01that Sheikh Hasina was no longer the leader?
01:03In our system, in Bangladesh system, the president don't have a lot of power.
01:12And people really believe the military or army during the transition of power or government.
01:21If you army, which in the past has staged coups multiple times.
01:25If you look back to 2007 or 1990 or 1975, it's always happened like this.
01:36So right now, the coordinator of quota movement, they are demanding pro-democratic forces to
01:43form a coalition government.
01:46But there are some speculation of ex-army head, some persons from military, some persons
01:55from civil society, some professors from Dhaka University, the leading university of Bangladesh.
02:01We have to wait.
02:02The army head has requested students to go back to home.
02:07But the students are urging to release a name of full list of the category government.
02:14And so for now, the students staying in the streets.
02:17It's been 24 hours.
02:19It's a huge bloodshed and now huge celebration.
02:23Now huge celebration, not only in Bangladesh, but also in Europe, in USA, in the Gulf countries,
02:30in Australia, in Canada, also in Paris.
02:34But students still in roads.
02:37I just checked the latest Facebook post of one of the leading coordinator of this movement.
02:45He said, we will brief to the nation about our planning regarding new government.
02:52They are rejecting all lists and all names who are related to previous fascist government
03:01according to them.
03:02Arifullah, when you woke up this morning, did you think that Sheikh Hasina would no
03:07longer be the prime minister before the day was out?
03:10I didn't sleep last night.
03:13So not only last night, last couple of nights, every Bangladeshi who are living abroad in
03:21Europe, in Western countries, in Gulf, in Asia, I think this is the same scenario for
03:27all.
03:28And it was so tough to imagine that Hasina will quit today, but it happens.
03:40People are telling that this is the Generation Z revolution.
03:45That means the students who are under 25, 20, like this.
03:50It's their revolution for now.
03:53One quick final question.
03:55Sheikh Hasina in India, she landed reportedly at a military base near Delhi, wants to go
04:01to the UK requesting asylum.
04:03Will that be easy?
04:04Her sister lives there.
04:06We are not sure right now, but her son, Mr. Joy, said the politics is finished for her
04:13mother and their family.
04:16It's enough for them.
04:19According to Indian Daily NDTV, either she will go to Finland or United Kingdom.
04:27But the Bangladeshi diaspora in Europe or in Western countries are urging the government
04:35to not accept Mr. Hasina Wajid in European countries where the human rights are priorities.
04:44Ari Fula from our InfoMigrants website, many thanks for joining us.