Türkiye expresses sadness over deaths in Bangladesh protests

By Serdar Dincel

ISTANBUL (AA) - Türkiye said on Monday that it was "saddened" by the deaths during weeks of demonstrations in Bangladesh, which led to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and her fleeing to India.

"We have been closely following developments in Bangladesh over the past few weeks. We are deeply saddened by the loss of life in the demonstrations," said a Turkish Foreign Ministry statement.

After Hasina left the country, President Mohammed Shahabuddin’s office in Bangladesh announced that all political parties had agreed to dissolve Parliament to form a transitional government, as previously announced by military chief Gen. Waker-uz-Zaman.

Ankara, in the statement, voiced hope that plans for an interim government as announced today will guide the country to elections under the country’s Constitution.

It also underlined Ankara's desire to see that "the elections will contribute to democracy, peace and stability in brotherly Bangladesh."

Since early July, Bangladesh has witnessed large-scale protests that began as university student-led demonstrations against controversial civil service job quotas. Local media report around 400 deaths during the protests.