On the morning of August 5 last year, during the peak of the mass uprising, senior military officers advised Sheikh Hasina to step down from power.
She reportedly said, "Then shoot me dead and bury me inside Ganabhaban." These events were disclosed during a hearing at the International Crimes Tribunal by Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tazul Islam, as part of a formal charge concerning crimes against humanity that occurred in Dhaka’s Chankharpul area during the uprising.
According to the Chief Prosecutor, then-Speaker of the Parliament Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury also advised Hasina to resign, but several top leaders of the ruling Awami League, including Obaidul Quader, opposed the idea.
A meeting held on the night of August 4 inside Ganabhaban, involving Sheikh Hasina, senior cabinet members, and heads of security forces, reportedly turned tense and chaotic, marked by heated arguments and emotional confrontations.
During a meeting with the chiefs of the army, navy, and air force around midnight, then-Defense Advisor Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Tariq Ahmed Siddiq raised the issue of resignation, which Sheikh Hasina angrily rejected.
Instead, she instructed the army chief to take a hardline stance and crush the protests. Tariq reportedly suggested using lethal force to suppress the demonstrators and even proposed firing from helicopters. This suggestion enraged the air force chief, who warned Hasina directly, saying, "He (Tariq) has already dragged you down and will pull you down even further."
A group of senior political figures, dubbed the “Gang of Four” — Obaidul Quader, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan, former Law Minister Anisul Huq, and PM’s advisor Salman F Rahman — reportedly urged Hasina that night to maintain a firm and uncompromising stance.
On the morning of August 5, another meeting took place inside Ganabhaban. Hasina pointed to then-Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun and said, "They are doing their job well; why can`t the army?" To which the IGP replied that the police force was exhausted, running low on ammunition, and could not hold the line much longer.
As military officials renewed their plea for her to resign, Hasina again burst out in anger and exclaimed, "Then shoot me dead and bury me here in Ganabhaban." Following this outburst, she was escorted to another room by military officials, who laid out the gravity of the situation. They told her that protestors from across the country were marching toward the capital as part of the “Long March to Dhaka.”
At that point, her younger sister Sheikh Rehana reportedly pleaded with her to step down, even falling to her knees and grabbing Hasina’s feet. Yet Hasina remained unmoved. Eventually, military officials reached out to her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, explaining that the only way to ensure her safety was for her to relinquish power immediately. Realizing the urgency, Joy spoke to his mother and convinced her to step down.
Hasina expressed a desire to record a farewell message for broadcast, but the military declined. Due to the escalating unrest, she was given 45 minutes to prepare before leaving Ganabhaban. By then, massive crowds of students and civilians were marching towards the presidential residence.
At 11:00 a.m. on August 5, the military’s public relations unit notified state television that the army chief would address the nation at 2:00 p.m. However, the address was delayed until 4:00 p.m. By that time, Sheikh Hasina had already left the country and fled to India.
