Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina's daughter Saima Wazed on Thursday said she was "heartbroken" by the loss of lives in her country and that she could not "see or hug" her mother during such a difficult time.

Hasina resigned as prime minister and travelled to India on Monday following unprecedented anti-government protests.

"Heartbroken with the loss of life in my country Bangladesh that I love. So heartbroken that I cannot see and hug my mother during this difficult time. I remain committed to my role as RD," Wazed said in a post on X.

Wazed is the World Health Organization's (WHO) regional director for Southeast Asia.

The protests in Bangladesh began initially with the demand to end a quota system that reserved 30 per cent of government jobs for families of veterans who fought in Bangladesh's 1971 war of independence before turning into anti-government demonstrations.

Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin dissolved Parliament on Tuesday and appointed Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus as head of an interim government.

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