One year after the dramatic fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government, new details have emerged about the morning of August 5, 2024–the day Hasina abruptly fled Bangladesh amid nationwide unrest.

While full clarity remains elusive, documents and testimonies from government officials reviewed by Bangla Outlook suggest that Hasina had been preparing to attend a family event in Dhaka that morning, but plans changed rapidly in the final hours.

According to a confidential government document dated August 4, 2024, the then-Prime Minister was scheduled to travel from her official residence at Ganabhaban to the Prime Minister's Office (now known as the Chief Adviser’s Office) to attend a commemorative event for her late brother, Sheikh Kamal, whose birthday falls on August 5.

Sheikh Kamal, the eldest son of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was killed alongside his father and other family members in the 1975 military coup.

The document, marked "Top Secret," read: “The Honorable Prime Minister will attend the ‘Sheikh Kamal’s Birthday’ event at the Shapla Hall of the Prime Minister’s Office at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, August 5, 2024, departing from Ganabhaban.”

Security agencies were directed to ensure arrangements along a designated route via Crescent Lake Road, Uroajahaaj Crossing, Bijoy Sarani, and VIP Road.

However, multiple officials now confirm the event was never held. One former government staffer, who was on duty that day and now lives outside Dhaka, told Bangla Outlook, “We were preparing for the PM’s trip to the office, but by morning, conflicting information began coming in. Suddenly we heard she might be headed to Bangabhaban instead. By early afternoon, the control room went completely silent.”

An official from the traffic police, also interviewed by Bangla Outlook, corroborated that a shift in plans occurred on the morning of August 5. “She was scheduled to go to her office, but the order was changed last-minute,” he said.

A detective stationed near Ganabhaban recalled the scene around 10:00–10:15 a.m. that day: “The control room announced that Victor Two — the Prime Minister’s call sign — was en route to Bangabhaban. I saw a large movement of army vehicles in and out of Ganabhaban through Lake Road, but couldn’t identify who was inside them.”

What happened after this point remains unclear. It is widely believed Sheikh Hasina was escorted out of the country shortly after, eventually arriving in India, where she has remained in exile.

The sudden change in schedule, conflicting signals from official channels, and disappearance of Hasina from public view all point to a chaotic and uncoordinated final chapter of her rule.

One detective stationed near Ganabhaban, the Prime Minister's residence, told Bangla Outlook that the control room had been instructed early that morning to clear the route for Sheikh Hasina’s motorcade to Bangabhaban, the official residence of the President.

“Even after the route was cleared, she didn’t move,” he recalled. “Normally, she would leave within 10 to 15 minutes. But that day, time kept passing and she didn’t come out. Eventually, we were informed that her schedule would be announced later. Then I got a call from inside the compound — and that’s when I knew the government had fallen.”

Another senior official recounted similar uncertainty the night before. “On August 4, we were on duty late because we’d received instructions that she might go to Bangabhaban that night,” he said.

“We were standing by until 11:30 p.m. We had the official memo about Sheikh Kamal’s birthday program, but at the same time, we were receiving phone and wireless messages about a possible shift to Bangabhaban. Mostly via phone — because wireless is less secure.”

On the morning of August 5, that official said the control room relayed a new message around 11:30 a.m. “We were told there would be no movement for now, and that a new schedule would be announced. Officers on standby were asked to stand down for the time being.”

Another officer with Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) said they were informed that the Prime Minister was scheduled to meet with the President sometime between 10:00 and 11:30 a.m. “We were told to prepare accordingly, but not informed about the purpose of the meeting,” he added.

Amid the confusion in the capital, signs of a broader collapse were becoming visible at the city’s entry points. A police official who was posted at the control room that day said they began noticing large groups entering Dhaka through the Uttara checkpoint.

He raised the matter with the then-DMP Commissioner, Habibur Rahman, though Rahman could not be reached for comment.

The official, now living abroad, recalled that when no one else was available, he was instructed to intercept the procession approaching the city. “At that point, the crowd was in front of Le Méridien hotel,” he said.

“I went to Banani to intercept them, but then received a call from a colonel at Dhaka Cantonment. He asked, ‘The procession is going to Shaheed Minar — why are you stopping them?’ That’s when I backed off. By then, I knew. It was over.”

As the crowd surged toward the heart of Dhaka on the morning of August 5, 2024, key officials on the ground began abandoning their posts — a telling sign that the state machinery was no longer holding firm.

One senior police official told Bangla Outlook that after failing to control the advancing protesters at the city’s northern entry point, he left his forces in place and proceeded to police headquarters for further instructions.

According to four officials who were on duty that day, the massive procession that began in Uttara was deliberately allowed to proceed despite initial government directives to stop it.

“The Home Minister had ordered that the rally be halted at Jasimuddin Avenue,” said one of the officials. “I personally called the Uttara Deputy Commissioner at least ten times — no answer. That’s when I knew he had gone silent, maybe even compromised.”

As the rally pushed forward, the army reportedly opened the gates at Uttara, clearing the way for the crowd to advance. The next major checkpoint was located under the Mohakhali flyover.

There, army personnel temporarily halted the procession for more than ten minutes — but did not disperse it. Meanwhile, inside Ganabhaban, Sheikh Hasina remained in limbo.

The same official said that he witnessed a brief moment of movement from the Prime Minister’s motorcade. “It looked like she was about to leave via Lake Road,” he recalled. “But when her security detail realized the procession was fast approaching, they made a sudden decision to turn back.”

Instead of proceeding on the original route, the convoy diverted. It reversed course in front of Ganabhaban and took the road opposite Residential Model College.

From there, it traveled discreetly toward the Bangabandhu International Conference Center — also known as the China-Friendship Conference Center — where an air force helicopter had been stationed.

Hasina was quickly airlifted to Kurmitola Air Base. Within a short span, she boarded a C-130 military transport aircraft and left Bangladesh for India.

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