Yogita Limaye
South Asia correspondent

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Sheikh Hasina and her family share historic ties with India.

India fought alongside Bangladesh’s freedom leaders in its war for independence from Pakistan in 1971, after which Sheikh Hasina’s father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman became Bangladesh’s first president.

In 1975, after the assassination of her father and most of her family in Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina and her sister were granted political asylum in India for several years.

Across political parties in India, Hasina has found support because the Indian establishment has long seen her as a way of keeping radical Islamist groups out of power in Bangladesh.

India has also sought to have influence in Bangladesh to counter its regional rivalry with China.

But it’s for those reasons, India will want to tread carefully in this moment, as it will want to maintain relations with whoever becomes the next leader of Bangladesh.

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Swift action is needed to "ensure democracy prevails" in Bangladesh, a spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says.

Downing Street's official spokesperson tells reporters in London that the prime minister is "deeply saddened by the violence we've seen in Bangladesh in recent weeks".

He added: "I hope that swift action is taken to ensure that democracy prevails and accelerate the process towards peace and security to people in Bangladesh."

His words come as speculation over Sheikh Hasina's final destination grows. Some local media in India and Bangladesh have suggested she might travel to London.

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Sheikh Hasina’s son has told the BBC that there will be no political comeback for his mother, saying she was "so disappointed that after all her hard work, for a minority to rise up against her".

Speaking to Newshour on the BBC World Service, Sajeeb Wazed Joy - who was an official adviser of the prime minister until today - says his mother had been considering resigning since yesterday and had left the country for her own safety after her family insisted.

Defending his mother’s record in power, he says: “She has turned Bangladesh around. When she took over power it was considered a failing state. It was a poor country. Until today it was considered one of the rising tigers of Asia. She’s very disappointed.”

Joy rejects accusations that the government had been heavy-handed in dealing with protestors: “You’ve had policemen beaten to death – 13 just yesterday. So what do you expect the police to do when mobs are beating people to death?”

Hundreds of people have died in the protests so far, with the vast majority protesters.

We are seeing reports that Bangladesh's former prime minister has landed at the Hindon Air Base in Delhi.

We don't yet know if Hasina plans to stay in India or will move on, but some sections of local media are speculating she may be on her way to London. This is not confirmed.

Regime change in Bangladesh is “an economic inevitability – a matter of when, not if”, according to Lutfey Siddiqi, a visiting professor-in-practice at the London School of Economics.

“Sheikh Hasina’s government appears to have lost both the right and might to govern. Soon it will run out of the resources to do so as well,” Siddiqi told the BBC. “Bangladesh is on the verge of an economic implosion.”

The same youth demographic that is largely spearheading the protests are also Bangladesh’s “core natural resource”, according to Siddiqi, who described them as “an asset that can easily flip into a liability without employment, hope or representation”.

More than 40% of Bangladeshi citizens aged between 15 and 24 are neither employed nor in education.

This, combined with persistent inflation and other economic woes, has created “an economic tinderbox that was simply waiting for a spark,” Siddiqi says.oes, created “an economic tinderbox that was simply waiting for a spark,” Siddiqi said.

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As we bring you more details about the resignation of Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fleeing the country after her resignation, let's take a closer look at how we got here.

Last month, there were deadly protests in Bangladesh when students demanded an end to the quota system which set aside a third of coveted government jobs for specific sections of society – including the relatives of veterans from Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence from Pakistan.

In response, the Bangladesh Supreme Court reduced the number of reserved jobs to just five per cent, prompting the protests which then spiralled into demands for Hasina to quit after over two decades in power.

In an episode of the Global Story podcast from July, we hear from experienced journalists covering the region including BBC World Service South Asia Regional Editor Anbarasan Ethirajan, and Sabir Mustafa, who was the head of the BBC’s Bengali language service for 22 years.

Our colleagues in BBC Bangla are now reporting widespread looting in Dhaka.

Demonstrators have reportedly broken into and damaged the residence of Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan in the Dhanmondi area of the capital.

BBC Bangla say smoke has been seen coming out of the house, after protesters stormed the main gates and entered the building.

Across the city, at the prime minister's official residence, people have been seen taking furniture from Sheikh Hasina's office.

One demonstrator told the BBC that a statue of the now ex-PM's father, independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, has also been damaged.

A memorial museum to Mujibur, who was assassinated while serving as president in 1975, has also been set on fire by demonstrators.

Elsewhere, in the eastern city of Sylhet, the offices of the deputy commissioner and superintendent of police have reportedly been set on fire, while the homes of several councillors have also been attacked.

Protesters in Bangladesh have stormed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's official residence in the capital Dhaka.

Reuters news agency shared the footage, which was broadcast live by Bangladeshi-Bengali TV station Channel 24 earlier today.

Hasina resigned earlier today, and fled the country. It is believed she is headed for India, but that has yet to be confirmed.

This comes a day after clashes between police and protesters left at least 90 people dead in Bangladesh.

One demonstrator has told the BBC that a statue of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Ganabhaban - the prime minister's official residence - is being demolished by protestors.

He was Sheikh Hasina's father and an independence movement leader.

Sayem Faruk tells the BBC that the scenes are reminiscent of Saddam Hussein's statue being taken down in Iraq in 2003. He says people are attacking the statue.

Some personal cars of ministers abandoned in the area are also being damaged by the crowd, while other people are climbing on top of armoured vehicles, Faruk says.

He adds that army troops on the streets seem relieved by Hasina's departure.

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According to reports, the “safe place” Sheikh Hasina is headed to is its giant neighbour – India.

Over the years, India has been her biggest ally and this has worked well for both countries.

Bangladesh shares borders with a number of north-eastern Indian states – many of which have grappled with militancy over decades, and a friendly regime in Dhaka helps with that.

During her time in power, Hasina clamped down on anti-India militant groups in Bangladesh, winning friends in Delhi. She has also given transit rights to India to make sure goods from its mainland make it to those states.

Hasina, who forged close ties with India ever since she was first elected in 1996, has always justified Dhaka’s close relationship with Delhi.

During a visit to India in 2022, she reminded people of Bangladesh how India, its government, people and armed forces had helped the country during the independence war in 1971.

But her closeness to Delhi – and India’s backing of her - has been criticised by the opposition parties and activists who say India should be backing the people of Bangladesh and not a particular party.

Image source, Reuters

Jubilant crowds have taken to the streets in Bangladesh, celebrating the departure of long-term Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Crowds waved flags as some demonstrators danced on top of a parked tank in the capital Dhaka, AFP news agency reported.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh's Channel24 broadcast footage of ecstatic protesters breaking into Hasina's official residence in Dhaka, with some waving to the camera as they streamed into the compound.

Bangladesh's army chief has just made a televised address to the nation.

Waker-uz-Zaman said an interim government would be formed. He added he was going to meet President Mohammed Shahabuddin, and was hoping that a "solution" would be found by the end of the day.

The army chief said he had already spoken to the country's opposition political parties.

It is not clear who will head the government.

And Waker-uz-Zaman also vowed "justice" for all the Bangladeshi people - something protesters have been demanding following the deaths of hundreds of people over the last few weeks.

A BBC correspondent in Dhaka describes today's events as a "historic moment" for Bangladesh.

"We have seen a mass upsurge in Bangladesh: tens of thousands of people took to the streets... and suddenly we received the news that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left the official residence," reports BBC Bangla's Akbar Hossein from Bangladesh's capital.

Image source, Channel 24

Footage has now emerged showing protesters looting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's official residence in the capital Dhaka.

Some of the demonstrators are seen carrying chairs and what looks like a sofa from the Ganabhaban residence.

If you're just joining us now, here's a quick look at what you need to know:

• Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned and fled the country, the BBC understands
• Hasina, who has led Bangladesh since 2009, is onboard a helicopter heading to the Indian city of Agartala, according to BBC Bengali
• Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman is set to address the nation, but his speech has already been delayed. He is said to be meeting with "stakeholders"
• Hasina's resignation comes as thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in the capital Dhaka - with thousands more set to follow, a day after clashes between police and protesters left at least 90 people dead
• Some demonstrators have reportedly stormed Hasina's official residence in Dhaka
• Some 300 people have been killed over the past month as authorities have cracked down on anti-government protesters
• The student protest started last month with peaceful demands to abolish quotas in civil service jobs, but have since transformed into a wider anti-government movement and nationwide unrest, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

Stay with us as we bring you the latest on the ground.

Hasina is heading to the city of Agartala in India, BBC Bangla is reporting.

The prime minister - who has resigned - earlier left the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka on a helicopter with her sister, according to reports.

We reported a little while ago that Bangladesh's army chief was due to make an address.

But we are still waiting, 90 minutes after it was first scheduled.

And of course things have moved on a bit since then, with Sheikh Hasina leaving the country and resigning.

In between, news agencies have reported that General Waker-Uz-Zaman was holding meeting with "stakeholders".

We will bring you the latest once he does make his address.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has also resigned, a BBC correspondent in the country confirms.

Reports are now coming that thousands of protesters are storming Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's official residence in the capital Dhaka.