New Delhi: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy in an exclusive conversation with ETV Bharat said, "We are not dead; we are not going anywhere…the Awami league is coming back."
After weeks of massive protests and violence, Hasina, the 76-year-old Awami League leader, fled Bangladesh and landed at an airbase near Delhi on Monday and later shifted to a safe location in the national capital under tight security. She is accompanied by her sister Sheikh Rehana.
Her exit after weeks of protests is a landmark moment in South Asia. The political unrest in Dhaka remains a serious concern for the international community as the geopolitical implications loom after Hasina resigned.
"The situation is sort of uncertain in Bangladesh. The police have completely abandoned their posts as they were being attacked. The border guards are trying to ensure some security but outside of Dhaka, there is still a lot of violence going on especially targeting our party leaders and minorities. The students supposedly have announced that they will protect the minorities but it's a big country, (and) they cannot protect them everywhere," Sajeeb Wazed Joy said
"Sheikh Hasina is in New Delhi and there (have) been absolutely no plans to leave as of now. She is in touch with our party leaders. Our initial decision was to forget about politics but because our party people are being attacked, we had to reconsider that, we cannot just abandon them. Constitutionally, Sheikh Hasina never resigned as she never had the opportunity to, so that is the constitutional problem. Constitutionally, she remains the Prime Minister of Bangladesh," he claimed.
When asked if there would be a political comeback of Hasina or the revival of the Awami League, he asserted that the "Awami League party is the oldest and largest political party in Bangladesh. We are not dead; we are not going anywhere…the Awami league is coming back."
Sajeeb Wazed Joy thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Government of India for helping his mother.
"The government of India saved her life with their quick response. I cannot thank them enough and they have my eternal gratitude. At the same time, in Bangladesh, without a secular government, unfortunately, minorities have been targeted now. I believe that we do need a peaceful secular government in Bangladesh and nothing else, to keep the people safe, to keep the border safe and keep the militancy out. The main goal is we need a government that is willing to combat militancy, which means anyone in the government has to denounce militancy," added Sajeeb Wazed Joy.
He maintained that the situation in Bangladesh is still not under control. "Dhaka city is somewhat under control but outside Dhaka, there is no law and order (and) violence continues. It’s a chaos," he quipped.
Bangladesh has been witnessing massive protests and violence that began last month after student groups demanded the scrapping of a controversial quota system in government jobs. That escalated into a campaign to seek the ouster of Hasina, who won a fourth straight term in January in an election boycotted by the opposition. Hundreds have lost their lives in the wake of the violence in Bangladesh.
Sheikh Hasina is the longest-serving head of government in Bangladesh and is a member of the Awami League, a major political party in the country. She is known for her leadership in various development initiatives, economic growth, and efforts to improve education and healthcare in Bangladesh. Her tenure was marked by both significant achievements and controversies, particularly regarding issues of governance and human rights. She is the daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding leader and first President of Bangladesh.
