Bangladesh President Dissolves Parliament
Bangladesh’s president dissolved parliament on Tuesday, fulfilling a key demand of student protesters who had led demonstrations that ousted longtime ruler Sheikh Hasina, according to a statement.
“The president has dissolved parliament,” said Shiplu Zaman, press secretary to President Mohammed Shahabuddin, in the statement.
The statement also announced that Hasina’s main rival, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia, a former prime minister, had been released from house arrest.
Student protesters had threatened further demonstrations if parliament was not dissolved. The decision followed meetings with defense force leaders, political party heads, student leaders, and civil society representatives, as stated in the presidential announcement.
Hasina’s departure on Monday marked the end of her 15-year second tenure in power. She had governed the country for 20 of the last 30 years, continuing the political movement of her father, state founder Mujibur Rahman, who was assassinated in 1975.
