Philippines urges peaceful power transition in Bangladesh after prime minister's ouster

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines on Tuesday called for a "peaceful and orderly transition of power" in Bangladesh after its longest-serving prime minister fled the country following weeks of deadly protests.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who ruled the South Asian nation for 15 years, resigned from her post on Monday and escaped to neighboring India as scores of protesters stormed her palace in the capital of Dakha. 

Bangladesh has been engulfed by violent riots since last month after student-led protests called to scrap a controversial quota system that reserves 30% of jobs for independence war veterans and their relatives.

"The Philippines conveys its solidarity with the people of Bangladesh and commits to efforts aimed at restoring peace and stability in Bangladesh," the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement.

The Philippines is also "closely monitoring" the situation in Bangladesh, the department added.

The DFA on August 2 placed Bangladesh under alert level 1 to warn Filipinos that the  “security situation can deteriorate without warning.”

"Alert Level 1 reminds all Filipinos in the country to remain indoors and to regularly monitor the situation during this period of transition," the DFA said, adding that the Philippines' embassy in Dhaka is ready to assist affected Filipinos.

An estimated 700 Filipinos are in Bangladesh, most of whom are skilled workers or in the hospitality sector, according to the Department of Migrant Workers.

The protests against the quota system quickly escalated into mass demonstrations calling for Hasina to step down, according to reports of international media. 

Anger mounted against the Hasina government after reports that police opened fire on student protesters. 

Despite authorities' imposition of a nationwide internet shutdown and curfew, at least 206 people were killed last month, with several protesters reportedly gunned down by police, hospitals told Agence France-Presse.

Once a democracy icon but now criticized by rights groups as an autocrat, Hasina's 15 years in office were marked by arrests of opposition figures and intolerance of dissent.

An “interim government” comprising judges, ex-military men