Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has resigned and left the country on Monday, media reports said, as more people were killed in some of the worst violence since the birth of the South Asian nation more than five decades ago.

The United States is closing monitoring the situation in Bangladesh, where the prime minister has fled the country after a crackdown on demonstrations, and urges the interim government formation process to be democratic and inclusive, the White House said on Monday.

“We encourage all parties to refrain from further violence and restore peace as quickly as possible,” a National Security Council spokesperson said.