Analysts say the anger that pushed Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from power is rooted in deep economic distress felt by the majority of people in the country, as well as the perception that while they suffered, the elites aligned with Hasina prospered. Within weeks, the protests expanded into a full-scale rejection of Hasina and her increasingly autocratic turn. Monday capped weeks of protests that began with discontent over a quota system for allocating government jobs that critics said favored those with connections to Hasina’s party. Hundreds of people were killed as security forces cracked down on the demonstrations. That violence only fueled them and exposed the deep-seated anger with her rule.
