Bangladesh President Dissolves Parliament, Ending ex-Premier Sheikh Hasina’s Era

Bangladeshi President Mohammed Shahabuddin on Tuesday dissolved the parliament, ending former Premier Sheikh Hasina’s era as weeks of protests over quota in government jobs forced her to flee to India.

The parliament came into being after the controversial Jan. 7 national elections, which were boycotted by top opposition parties, including Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami.

Hasina’s Awami League had won as the opposition parties boycotted the polls.

Of the total 300 parliamentary seats, Awami League won 222 seats, its ally Jatiya Party 11, independent candidates won 62 seats and the rest were bagged by other parties. The voter turnout was 41.8% out of 120 million registered voters, according to the election commission.

Opposition parties, however, claimed the voter turnout was much lower than claimed by the commission.

Most of the independent candidates who contested the election were also Awami League party supporters.

The presidency in a statement said the decision was taken after discussions with the armed forces chiefs, leaders of political parties, representatives of the civil society and leaders of the student-led protest movement.

The students had given a 24-hour deadline to dissolve the parliament and announce an interim government.

The statement said Khaleda Zia, the main opposition leader and head of BNP, was also released. The 78-year-old and twice the prime minister of Bangladesh was sentenced to 17 years in prison for corruption in 2018.

Bangladesh Supreme Court Bar President Mahbub Uddin Khokon on Tuesday urged India to arrest Sheikh Hasina and send her to Bangladesh.

Hasina is currently in the neighboring country and New Delhi said she had requested “approval to come for the moment to India.”

Meanwhile, authorities on Tuesday decided to reopen Dhaka University campus, and student dormitories and resume academic activities.