Bangladesh anti-government protests: Uprising, unrest and elections
After ruling with an iron fist for 15 years, Sheikh Hasina became the latest leader to be toppled by force since independence from Pakistan in 1971.
The Muslim-majority nation of about 170 million people is now in political limbo, led by a caretaker government until elections slated for 2026.
Here are five key events in the South Asian country since protesters took to the streets a year ago.
- July 1, 2024: Anti-government protests -
University students launch demonstrations to demand reforms to a quota system for sought-after public sector jobs.
They say the scheme is used to stack the civil service with those loyal to Hasina, who won a fifth term as prime minister months earlier in a vote without genuine opposition.
Hasina's rule saw widespread human rights abuses, including the mass detention and extrajudicial killings of her political opponents.
Deadly violence intensifies later in July with police opening fire.
Bangladesh is the world's second-largest garment exporter, and the industry is hit hard by the protests.
Clashes escalate despite a curfew, the deployment of soldiers and an internet blackout. Up to 1,400 people are killed in the unrest, according to the United Nations.
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