Sheikh Hasina Wazed, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister, has resigned and fled the country following weeks of student-led protests that escalated into deadly, nationwide unrest. Reports indicate that the 76-year-old leader escaped to India by helicopter on Monday, as thousands of protesters stormed her official residence in Dhaka.

This unexpected departure marks the end of the reign of Bangladesh’s longest-serving Prime Minister, who has held power since 2009, ruling the country for over 20 years in total. Ms. Hasina is credited with overseeing significant economic progress in the South Asian nation in recent years.

However, her tenure has also been marred by accusations of turning autocratic, clamping down on opposition, and increasing politically-motivated arrests, disappearances, extra-judicial killings, and other abuses. Despite these allegations, she secured an unprecedented fourth term as Prime Minister in a January election widely condemned by critics as a sham and boycotted by the main opposition.

Ms. Hasina began her political career as a pro-democracy icon, making her recent actions and accusations against her particularly notable.