Bangladesh president dissolves parliament, ends Hasina's 15-year reign

Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin has dissolved the parliament, ending ex-Premier Sheikh Hasina's era as weeks of protests over quota in government jobs forced her to flee to India.

The parliament came into being after the January 7 national elections, which were boycotted by top opposition parties including Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami.

The presidency in a statement said the decision was taken after discussions with the armed forces chiefs, leaders of political parties, representatives of the civil society and leaders of the student-led protest movement.

The students had given a 24-hour deadline to dissolve the parliament and announce an interim government.

The statement said Khaleda Zia, the main opposition leader and head of BNP, was also released. The 78-year-old and twice the prime minister of Bangladesh was sentenced to 17 years in prison for corruption in 2018.

Police declares strike; Hasina in India

Fearing backlash, Bangladesh's key police association on Tuesday said its members were going on strike, a day after the protests they had sought to crush with deadly force toppled the prime minister.

"Until the security of every member of the police is secured, we are declaring a strike," the Bangladesh Police Association said in a statement, which represents thousands of senior police officers.

Meanwhile, New Delhi on Tuesday also confirmed that the former Bangladeshi premier Hasina was in India after she requested approval to come to the country "for the moment".

Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, briefing the parliament, said India "received a request for flight clearance from the Bangladesh authorities", and Hasina arrived Monday evening in Delhi.

Earlier in the day, Jaishankar chaired an all-party meeting in parliament on the situation in Bangladesh and said India wanted to give the 76-year-old time to decide about her "future course of action".