Months before her dramatic resignation as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina had warned of "conspiracies" to overthrow her government, suggesting she might be assassinated like her father, independence hero Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. She also hinted at a "white man's" plot to create a new "Christian country" from parts of Bangladesh and Myanmar.

Hasina claimed she was offered an easy re-election in January, which she secured in a one-sided election boycotted by her rival Khaleda Zia's party, in exchange for allowing a foreign airbase in Bangladesh. She declined to name the country but suggested this was the root of her troubles. "If I allowed a certain country to build an airbase in Bangladesh, then I would have had no problem," she stated in May.

Despite her assertions of foreign interest in Bangladesh, comparing it to the situation in East Timor, Hasina vowed to resist any pressure.

Deadly protests erupted in Bangladesh, culminating on Sunday with over 100 fatalities in clashes with the police, bringing the total death toll to over 400. Protesters breached Hasina's residence on Monday, but she had already resigned and fled the country in a military plane.

The army chief announced the formation of an interim government to manage the crisis. Later that day, Hasina landed at Hindon Air Force base in India, approximately 30 km from Delhi. She is expected to travel to London, where she may seek asylum.