Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned and fled the country amid mounting deadly protests against her government’s policies and drawn-out reign in power.

The 76-year-old left the capital Dhaka on a military helicopter alongside her sister on Monday.

Various news outlets said she had fled to India to seek refuge there.

The protests began last month after the country reintroduced a so-called quota scheme that reserved more than half of all government jobs for certain groups.

Security forces had supported Hasina’s government throughout the unrest. On Sunday, however, they did not intervene in several cases.

Their non-cooperation came after General Ikbal Karim Bhuiyan, a former army chief, demanded that the government “immediately” withdraw troops and make way for the protests.