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Bangladesh Prime Minister Steps Down as Protests Turn Deadly; Interim Government in Place
Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned and fled the country amid escalating protests and violence.
Following weeks of unrest and clashes that resulted in over 300 deaths, Hasina’s departure came as protesters stormed her palace in Dhaka, despite a national curfew.
In response, Army Chief Waker-Uz-Zaman announced that an interim government will take over, calling for calm.
Protesters, defying the curfew, continued to demonstrate, with large crowds gathering in the capital. The violence peaked on Sunday, with nearly 100 deaths reported in a single night.
The unrest, which began with student groups demanding the removal of a controversial job quota system, has evolved into a broader movement against Hasina’s administration.
The prime minister had been in power for nearly 20 years and had recently won re-election in a contested vote.
In the wake of the violence, the government has declared a holiday, closed courts, and restricted internet access.
Reports indicate that at least 11,000 people have been arrested, and there have been significant disruptions to education and daily life.
The UN’s human rights chief, Volker Türk, has condemned the violence and called for restraint from all sides, urging the Bangladeshi government to end the crackdown on peaceful protesters and restore internet services to facilitate dialogue.
It remains uncertain if the resignation will quell the protests or if demonstrators will continue their demands for change.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has paid tribute to late Nigerian actor Olu Jacobs, recalling his contributions to the creative industry and his impact on Nigeria’s cultural identity.
In his tribute, Tinubu described Jacobs as a giant of the Nigerian creative industry and said “He was a giant of the Nigerian creative industry. His passing is a great loss to Nigeria, the African film industry and the global community of lovers of the performing arts. His remarkable body of work will continue to speak to generations yet unborn.
“The nation recognises the enormous contributions of Nigeria’s creative practitioners to the country’s cultural identity, global image and economic development. Olu Jacobs played a big role in creating this identity.”
Human rights lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a state of emergency over the proliferation of counterfeit and substandard drugs and consumer products in Nigeria.
Adeyanju also called for the removal of the Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Professor Mojisola Adeyeye, as well as the heads of other regulatory agencies, including the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
“Nigerians are being exposed to dangerous products daily, from fake and substandard medicines to unsafe consumer goods, with reports of drugs being sold wholesale in the open under the hot sun. No responsible government should expose its citizens to such risks and expect mortality rates not to rise.”
Adeyanju also called out NAFDAC over what he described as failures in regulating the circulation of counterfeit and substandard products in the country.
It can be noted that various counterfeit products continue to circulate in Nigerian markets, while NAFDAC has also reported seizures and destruction of counterfeit, expired and substandard products.
Lagosians have lamented heavy traffic caused by ongoing construction work at Kara Bridge along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The Federal Government announced that repairs on the damaged expansion joints at Kara Bridge would begin on September 8, 2026. The project, initially scheduled to begin in August, was delayed to allow further traffic management planning due to concerns over its impact on motorists.
Since work began, traffic around the Kara area has become heavy, with Lagosians sharing updates on social media about spending two hours or more on the road.
Some commuters say the delays have made their 9-to-5 routines difficult, with several hours spent travelling to and from work.
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