On Tuesday, Bangladesh's primary police union declared a strike among its members, following the events that led to the resignation of the prime minister, which occurred just a day prior. The Bangladesh Police Association, encompassing numerous police officers, stated in an official release, "We are announcing a strike until the safety of each police member is guaranteed." Additionally, the statement included an apology for the actions taken by the police against the demonstrators.
General Waker-Uz-Zaman, the head of the Bangladesh army, made an announcement on Monday through state television that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had stepped down, and that an interim government would be established under military supervision. Hasina, aged 76, had been governing since 2009 but faced allegations of manipulating elections in January, which sparked a month-long series of protests demanding her resignation. The security forces' attempts to suppress the protests resulted in hundreds of fatalities, yet the demonstrations persisted, culminating in Hasina's departure from Bangladesh via helicopter as the military withdrew its support.
Despite the majority of the police force's loyalty, they reported retaliatory assaults from the protesters following over a month of conflict that claimed at least 413 lives, including several police officers. The Bangladesh Police Association expressed regret in their statement, "We sincerely apologize for the harm inflicted by the police force on innocent students." They further explained that their officers were compelled to use firearms and were unfairly portrayed as the antagonists.
