Sources said Sheikh Hasina had contacted government officials in Delhi on Monday morning to seek asylum. India, her staunch ally throughout her long career, had advised her to leave the country.
The day before, Washington reportedly told Indian foreign ministry officials that the time had come for Ms Hasina, who had run out of options.
But after she reluctantly agreed to sign documents giving up her position, the question remained of how to get her out of the country safely.
A senior military official, who did not wish to be named, told BBC Bangla that only the Special Security Forces, the Presidential Guard Regiment and some senior military officers at army headquarters knew when Sheikh Hasina would sign the resignation letter and board the military helicopter that would take her from her residence. The whole thing was done in complete secrecy.
At around 10:30 local time (05:00 GMT), authorities shut down internet services to prevent any news of Sheikh Hasina’s movements from spreading on social media.
It was only activated after she escaped.
According to senior military sources, arrangements were made to safely transport Sheikh Hasina to the airport. There were fears that her convoy might be attacked, so the entire route was cleared and the departure point secured. But in the end, it was not safe to transport her by road, so a helicopter was used instead.
Sheikh Hasina’s son said his daughter was hesitant to board the plane until the moment of departure.
“She wanted my aunt to leave, and my mother didn’t want to get on the helicopter. I was in contact with my mother and convinced my aunt and told them she had to leave,” her son said.
Once they did, they were airlifted from Juno Bhaban to a Bangladesh Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft that was waiting for them and prepared.
Sajib Wazed Joy said he believed they went to Agartala, the capital of India’s eastern state of Tripura, and then flew to Delhi. Officials said India had already contacted them and approved their passage through that route.
Other accounts say she was taken by helicopter to an airport in Dhaka, and then flown to Delhi.
Hasina, her sister and prominent Awami League lawmaker Salman Fazlur Rehman were transferred from the helicopter to the plane that took them to Delhi, whichever route they took, officials said. At around 1:30 p.m. local time, they were transferred from the helicopter to the plane that took them to Delhi.
A video on social media showed four or five bags on the ground waiting to be loaded. The crowds were carrying away many of the items she had left behind, then stormed her residence, even while she was still in the air.
A few hours later, the plane landed in Delhi, and the final destination of its passengers is not yet clear.
In Dhaka, internet service was restored and celebrations began across Bangladesh to mark the end of Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year rule.
A woman once seen as a democrat but then despised by many as an autocrat, she fled like a fugitive under cover of darkness onto the internet.
“Coffee trailblazer. Certified pop culture lover. Infuriatingly humble gamer.”
