Bangladesh Prime Minister 'flees country in helicopter' amid jobs quota protest violence

Bangladesh jobs quota protesters celebrated today as the Prime Minister - seen in the video boarding a helicopter - reportedly fled the country.

Footage from the capital Dhaka showed the jubilant scenes following the resignation of Sheikh Hasina. She is said to have escaped on the helicopter along with her sister and senior army officials to neighbouring India.

Crowds of cheering protesters stormed her official residence, despite a curfew and internet clampdown.

It came just hours after the bloodiest day of the clashes so far, in which at least 90 demonstrators were killed on Sunday. It has been the worst violence the South Asian country has seen since it came into being in 1971.

The protests, which began in May, turned violent on July 15 in the capital and the clashes quickly spread to neighbouring cities. Six deaths were reported on the first day and climbed to hundreds within days while more than 2,500 were hurt.

The protestors are demanding the abolition of a quota system that reserves up to 30 per cent of high-paying government positions for the descendants of veterans who fought in the 1971 Bangladeshi independence struggle.

The situation remains tense as both sides continue to engage in violent confrontations across the country.

The students call for a merit-based system to replace the quota system, which they say is 'discriminatory and biased towards supporters of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.'

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Awami League party accuses the opposition of fueling the violence.