the stuff I’ve read indicated that she was actually quite popular, within the context of the country’s incredibly polarized politics.

Bangladesh has a very poor press freedom ranking and people have been persecuted for posting on social media. My impression is that she was despised, or at best tolerated

Having her toppled by a mob like this… while hoping for the best for Bangladesh, I can’t help but feel quite pessimistic for the future of the country. For one thing, there’s the distinct possibility that this is a military coup disguised as a popular insurrection. Hope that’s not the case.

I would come to the same conclusion if I had not followed this for the past dew weeks. It sounds like a coup from the headline.

I'm cautiously optimistic. The country has a chance for the first time in decades to establish a proper democracy, weed out corruption, and restore press freedoms. Anything can happen in a power vacuum, but I remain hopeful.