Sheikh Hasina’s final hours in Dhaka were characterized by defiance, chaos, and eventually escape. On August 5, 2024, when violent student-led mobs rocked Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina refused to step down. “Shoot me, bury me here, in Ganabhaban,” she said to army officials. She escaped to India a few hours later, before a crowd assaulted her official residence.
This turn of events was traced out by Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam at a recent hearing at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT). The tribunal also considered charges of crimes against humanity during the violence at Chankharpul, Dhaka.
The disturbance broke out over a disputed quota system in government employment. Student demonstrations broke out and spread rapidly. The nation was in chaos by early August. Demonstrators’ confrontations with security forces escalated into violence. More than 500 people were killed, according to reports, before Hasina could escape.
Sheikh Hasina’s Last Stand
Within Ganabhaban, there was tension. On August 4 night, there was a fateful meeting. Senior Cabinet ministers, military personnel, and security chiefs met. Parliament Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Islam says, initiated the first official call for Sheikh Hasina to quit. However, senior Awami League leaders resisted.
Major General (Retd) Tariq Ahmed Siddiq, her defence adviser and cousin, was calling on her to quit. She would not do so. She instructed the army chief to be firm and quash the protests. Her resistance contrasted sharply with the carnage on the streets.
Final Moments Before Escape
Sheikh Hasina’s determination shook the room. “Shoot me, bury me here,” she declared, making her refusal clear and loud. Hours later, she slipped quietly out of the country. She went to India, abandoning her official home behind. Angry mobs soon stormed and destroyed Ganabhaban.
Chief Prosecutor Islam revealed this timeline in a hearing before the ICT. He also laid charges on atrocities committed in Chankharpul, infusing an additional dose of jurisprudence into the political melodrama. His testimony, as reported by Prothom Alo, has left onlookers aghast and raised new questions about accountability.
The tribunal goes on. Bangladesh struggles with the long-term legacy of one of its most frenzied transitions on record.
