As fresh protests and violence erupted in Bangladesh after the death of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina slammed the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government.
Hasina accused Yunus of allowing "lawlessness" in the country and having "no public mandate" and therefore no right to make changes to Bangladesh's foreign policy.
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Hasina also rejected the Yunus government's demand for her to return to face legal action. She called it a move of “political assassination”, after the country's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) delivered the death penalty for her in connection with the "July Uprising" that saw student-led protests leading to the toppling of Hasina's government.
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When will Sheikh Hasina return to Bangladesh?
The student-led protests in July 2024 led to the fall of the government led by Sheikh Hasina, following which she flew to India. Since then, she has been living in Delhi in a safe house, where India continues to provide her full security, her son Sajeeb Wazed said earlier.
In November this year, a Bangladesh court found Hasina guilty of “crimes against humanity” in relation to the “July Uprising” protests and convicted Hasina on all five charges. She was handed the death penalty after the court said that she had allowed atrocities against student protesters.
Sheikh Hasina dismissed the calls for her to return to the country.
"You cannot demand my return to face my political assassination," Hasina said, reiterating that she has challenged Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus to take the matter to The Hague, expressing confidence that an independent court would acquit her.
She said that she would only return when Bangladesh has a legitimate government and an independent judiciary.
Hasina said the verdict delivered by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) was not a judicial exercise but a political one, describing it as a "political assassination in judicial robes.
" She said she was denied the right to defend herself and to appoint lawyers of her choice, alleging that the tribunal had been used to conduct a "witch hunt of the Awami League."
Despite the allegations, Hasina said her trust in Bangladesh's constitutional framework remains intact. "Our constitutional tradition is strong, and when legitimate governance is restored and our judiciary regains its independence, justice will prevail," she said.
Sheikh Hasina Slams Yunus Government
The former Bangladesh prime minister said the killing of student leader Sharif Osman Hadi was a reflection of "lawlessness" under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.
“Violence has become the norm while the interim government either denies it or is powerless to stop it. Such incidents destabilise Bangladesh internally but also our relationships with neighbours who are watching with justified alarm,” she said.
She added, “Yunus has placed extremists in cabinet positions, released convicted terrorists from prison, and allowed groups linked to international terrorist organisations to take roles in public life. He is not a politician and has no experience governing a complex nation. I fear that radicals are using him to project an acceptable face to the international community while they systematically radicalise our institutions from within.”
Speaking on the present India-Bangladesh ties, Hasina said that the Yunus government issues “hostile statements against India”.
Hasina told ANI, “The strain you are witnessing is entirely of Yunus’s making. His government issues hostile statements against India, fails to protect religious minorities, and allows extremists to dictate foreign policy, then expresses surprise when tensions rise.”
"India has been Bangladesh’s most steadfast friend and partner for decades. The ties between our nations are deep and fundamental. They will outlast any temporary government. I am confident that once legitimate governance is restored, Bangladesh will return to the sensible partnership we cultivated over fifteen years,” she added.