Watch | Bangladesh Army Recovers Money Looted By Protesters Amid Dhaka Unrest

Bangladesh Unrest: Protesters seized Dhaka on Monday as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled country facing a military coup triggered in wake of violent protest against the government over a new quota move.

An unruly mob entered Prime Minister's residence in Dhaka and created a chaos. Several videos surfaced on social media showed protesters damaging government property, stealing valuables, and eating leftover food. 

Reports also surfaced that many protesters looted money which was later recovered by the Army. Take a look at this video:

Why were they protesting?

At first, the demonstrations were against a quota system that set aside up to 30% of government jobs for family members of veterans who fought in Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence against Pakistan.

Protesters said the system was discriminatory and benefited supporters of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party, which led the independence movement.

The furor highlighted the extent of economic distress in Bangladesh, where exports have fallen and foreign exchange reserves are running low. There’s a lack of quality jobs for young graduates, who increasingly seek the more stable and lucrative government jobs.

As the violence crested, the Supreme Court last month ruled that the veterans’ quota must be cut to 5%, with 93% of jobs to be allocated on merit. The remaining 2% will be set aside for members of ethnic minorities and transgender and disabled people.

The government accepted the decision, and restored the internet thinking that the situation would ease. But the protests grew, with new demands for investigations into the deadly crackdowns, and eventually for Hasina and her cabinet to step down.

With inputs from PTI

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