Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina‘s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy on Sunday recently thanked the Indian government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ensuring his mother’s safety during the ongoing political unrest in Bangladesh. While acknowledging that mistakes were made during Hasina’s tenure, Joy said that the blame should not be placed solely on his mother.He also said that Hasina, now 76 years old, had intended for this to be her final term in office and expressed uncertainty about her ability to return home.
“My mother never wanted to leave her country — her dream is to retire there,” Joy told news agecny AFP.
“This was going to be her last term. She’s 76 years old. And so she just wants to go back home. Whether she’ll be able to, we’re waiting to see,” he added.
On August 5, Hasina resigned from her position following a student-led uprising and fled in India. Her government faced accusations of extensive human rights violations, including the extrajudicial killings of political opponents throughout her 15-year rule. In response to the situation, the military announced Hasina’s resignation and appointed Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus to head a caretaker government responsible for restoring order and implementing democratic reforms.
Speaking from Washington, Joy criticised the interim government, describing it as “completely powerless” and subject to “mob rule.” Joy cautioned against delaying elections, stressing the importance of establishing a legitimate government to stabilize the nation.
“It’s in their best interest to hold elections… to have a return to a legitimate government that has the legitimacy of the people and true authority,” he told AFP.
“Otherwise, it’s just going to devolve into chaos,” he added.
As former opposition parties, such as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), regroup and organize peaceful protests, Joy recognized the need for collaboration between the BNP and the Awami League. “It’s going to be between the BNP and the Awami League. We need to work together,” he said.
Commenting on the violent clashes that led to his mother’s removal from power, Joy conceded that the police used excessive force but maintained that violence occurred on both sides.
“Some of the police used excessive force but there were attacks on the police too — police members were killed as well. The violence wasn’t one-sided,” he told AFP.
“And then as it escalated further, the protesters started attacking police with firearms, weapons,” he added.
He also suggested that unidentified foreign entities might have supported the protests.
“I believe, at this point, it is from beyond Bangladesh,” Joy said, adding, “only an intelligence agency would have the capability of smuggling and supplying weapons to protesters.”
“My mother never wanted to leave her country — her dream is to retire there,” Joy told news agecny AFP.
“This was going to be her last term. She’s 76 years old. And so she just wants to go back home. Whether she’ll be able to, we’re waiting to see,” he added.
On August 5, Hasina resigned from her position following a student-led uprising and fled in India. Her government faced accusations of extensive human rights violations, including the extrajudicial killings of political opponents throughout her 15-year rule. In response to the situation, the military announced Hasina’s resignation and appointed Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus to head a caretaker government responsible for restoring order and implementing democratic reforms.
Speaking from Washington, Joy criticised the interim government, describing it as “completely powerless” and subject to “mob rule.” Joy cautioned against delaying elections, stressing the importance of establishing a legitimate government to stabilize the nation.
“It’s in their best interest to hold elections… to have a return to a legitimate government that has the legitimacy of the people and true authority,” he told AFP.
“Otherwise, it’s just going to devolve into chaos,” he added.
As former opposition parties, such as the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), regroup and organize peaceful protests, Joy recognized the need for collaboration between the BNP and the Awami League. “It’s going to be between the BNP and the Awami League. We need to work together,” he said.
Commenting on the violent clashes that led to his mother’s removal from power, Joy conceded that the police used excessive force but maintained that violence occurred on both sides.
“Some of the police used excessive force but there were attacks on the police too — police members were killed as well. The violence wasn’t one-sided,” he told AFP.
“And then as it escalated further, the protesters started attacking police with firearms, weapons,” he added.
He also suggested that unidentified foreign entities might have supported the protests.
“I believe, at this point, it is from beyond Bangladesh,” Joy said, adding, “only an intelligence agency would have the capability of smuggling and supplying weapons to protesters.”
Source Agencies
