Sheikh Hasina was given just 45 minutes to flee Bangladesh

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was given just 45 minutes by the Bangladesh Army to leave the country on Monday, multiple media reports claimed.

Sheikh Hasina, who resigned as the prime minister of Bangladesh on Monday, was forced to leave the country amid mass protests against her government.

At one point prior to her exit, Sheikh Hasina said, pointing to the IGP, that they (the police) are doing well (in controlling the situation), reports the Dhaka-based Bangla newspaper, Prothom Alo.

According to the newspaper, the IGP replied that the situation had reached a point where even the police will no longer be able to hold on.

Top officials tried to explain to Hasina that it was no longer possible for the situation to be controlled by force. Sheikh Hasina, however, was unwilling to accept that.

The officials then spoke to Hasina's sister Sheikh Rehana in a separate room. They explained the situation to her and asked her to convince Sheikh Hasina.

Rehana then talked to Hasina, but the latter was still determined to hold on to power.

Then, one of the top officers called Sheikh Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, who was abroad.

Joy then spoke over the phone to his mother after which Sheikh Hasina agreed to resign.

Sources said that Hasina wanted to broadcast a message to the nation before leaving Bangladesh, but by then intelligence reports had come in that a large number of students had started their march from Shahbagh and Uttara in Dhaka.

Given the distance to the prime minister's residence, it was estimated that it would take 45 minutes for the demonstrators to reach Ganabhaban from Shahbagh. There may not be enough time to record a speech, it was felt.

Taking all this into consideration, Sheikh Hasina was told to get ready to leave the nation within 45 minutes.

After that Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana reached the helipad in the old airport in Tejgaon. Some of their luggage was loaded on to an aircraft.

Finally, at around 2.30 pm on Monday, Sheikh Hasina and her younger sister left by a military helicopter for India.