Bangladesh president orders immediate release of jailed ex-PM Khaleda Zia

Amid the political unrest in Bangladesh that saw Sheikh Hasina resign as the prime minister and flee the country on Monday, 5 August, president Mohammed Shahabuddin chaired a meeting at the Bangabhaban in Dhaka to discuss the formation of an interim government with the chiefs of the three armed forces, leaders of various political parties, and civil society representatives.

The meeting unanimously decided to release BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia immediately.

The president's press team said in a statement that the meeting led by Shahabuddin "decided unanimously to free Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia immediately".

At the meeting, a condolence resolution was also taken in memory of those killed in the anti-quota movement and prayers were sought for forgiveness and peace for the departed souls.

The meeting decided to form an interim government, urging everyone to exercise patience and tolerance in controlling the law and order situation in the country. It also decided to take strict action to stop looting and violent activities.

Besides, it was decided to release all the people detained during the anti-discrimination movement. A consensus was also reached at the meeting that no community should be harmed in any way.

Earlier, as Hasina left for India, Bangladesh Army chief general Waker-Uz-Zaman confirmed the news of her resignation and said that an interim government will be formed soon to run the country.

It was reported that over 100 people were killed and more than 1,000 injured in the clashes that took place between police and the protesters on Sunday.

"With yesterday's count, the death toll in anti-government protests crossed 300 in just three weeks, making it the bloodiest period in the history of Bangladesh's civil movement," the country's leading daily The Daily Star reported.

The student-led non-cooperation movement put immense pressure on the government led by Hasina over the past many weeks.

The students had been protesting against a 30 per cent reservation in government jobs for relatives of freedom fighters who wrested independence for Bangladesh from Pakistan in a bloody civil war in 1971 in which, according to Dhaka officials, three million people were killed in the genocide by Pakistani troops and their supporters.

After the Supreme Court slashed the reservations to 5 per cent, student leaders put the protests on hold, but the demonstrations flared up again because the students said the government ignored their call to release all their leaders, making the resignation of PM Hasina their primary demand.