Photos: Thousands of Bangladeshis out on streets to celebrate Sheikh Hasina’s departure

Sheikh Hasina Wazed, Bangladesh’s longest-serving prime minister, stepped down from the top post and fled the country, cutting short her fourth consecutive term in power after nearly 15 years at the helm of the South Asian nation.

Rights groups had accused the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s first president, of ruling with an iron hand, silencing criticism and dissent, and using state machinery to do her bidding.

Hasina’s resignation came after at least 98 people had been killed nationwide on Sunday, following a civil disobedience campaign over the killings of at least 200 demonstrators during an earlier phase of protests last month.