Bangladesh in Turmoil: A History of Political Upheavals and Coups

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned after weeks of violent protests. This event brings renewed focus on the country's history of political upheaval, marked by multiple coups and assassinations since 1975. The country has experienced significant political instability, with coups resulting in various military and interim governments.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation after weeks of violent protests, announced on Monday in a televised address by the army chief, has brought focus once more to the country's history of political upheaval and coups.

The country has a long history of political instability, marked by a series of coups and assassinations. In 1975, the country's first Prime Minister, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was assassinated along with most of his family in a military coup. This event initiated a prolonged period of military rule, punctuated by further coups, including one in which General Ziaur Rahman seized power in November of that year.

In 1981, Ziaur Rahman was assassinated by rebels, but the army remained mostly loyal and suppressed the rebellion. Then in 1982, Rahman's successor, Abdus Sattar, was ousted in a bloodless coup led by Hussein Muhammad Ershad. The nation continued to see political instability, including a caretaker military government in 2007, and various other attempts to seize power by force.

(With inputs from agencies.)