Deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina blamed Bangladesh’s interim government leader Muhammad Yunus for the country’s “lawlessness” and vowed to return back to her country.
During a one-on-one interaction on Zoom with widows of four policemen killed during last July’s student uprising, Hasina claimed Yunus has “unleashed terrorists” on its citizens, PTI news agency reported.
Hasina’s 16-year Awami League administration ended following a student uprising on August 5, 2024, forcing her to seek refuge in India.
Hasina said, “He (Yunus) dissolved all inquiry committees and unleashed terrorists to butcher people. They are destroying Bangladesh.”
The conversation, which surfaced on social media on Tuesday, showed Hasina comforting grieving family members whilst expressing her intention to return and seek justice for the fallen officers.
“I will return and avenge the deaths of our policemen,” she declared, noting that she had narrowly escaped death during her government’s collapse, attributing her survival to divine intervention “to do something good.”
“Yunus has no experience in running a government,” the former prime minister stated, adding, “We need to put an end to this lawlessness.”
In previous social media appearances, Hasina accused Yunus of orchestrating “a long, and well-designed plot to oust her government and grab the state power.”
‘Extradition of Sheikh Hasina top priority’
Meanwhile, the office of Bangladesh’s interim government said on Tuesday that securing the extradition of Sheikh Hasina from India was their top priority.
“This is the government’s top priority,” chief adviser Yunus’ press secretary Shafiqul Alam said during a media briefing that the administration would persist in its attempts to bring Hasina back for a personal trial.
During the briefing, he indicated that whilst the Bangladeshi public and political organisations would determine the future of her “fascist” Awami League, individuals allegedly responsible for killings, forced disappearances and other offences must face legal consequences.
The spokesperson referenced the Office of the united nations high commissioner for human rights’ (OHCHR) fact-finding report from the previous week, which indicated Hasina’s involvement in crimes against humanity during her leadership.
According to the state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), he noted that following the publication of UN and human rights organisations’ reports, there was increased pressure for India to return Hasina to Bangladesh.
What was written in OHCHR report?
The UN human rights office (OHCHR) issued a report last week detailing the unrest in Bangladesh that resulted in approximately 1,400 fatalities. The report was titled ‘Human Rights Violations and Abuses related to the Protests of July and August 2024 in Bangladesh’.
The document examined events from July 1 to August 15, encompassing student protests demanding Hasina’s removal and subsequent attacks on Awami League supporters and minority groups, including Hindus.
The findings revealed that the Awami League administration under Hasina responded with severe measures against protesters, resulting in “hundreds of extrajudicial killings.”
Police headquarters, now substantially reorganised under the interim administration, confirmed that a minimum of 44 police personnel, including officers, lost their lives during the upheaval.
The UN report indicated that 450 of the nation’s 639 police stations suffered destruction or damage from mob violence during the period surrounding the Awami League government’s collapse.
“After Sheikh Hasina left the country on August 5 last year, revenge violence surged,” stated the OHCHR report, noting that violent groups attacked and set fire to numerous police facilities.
The UN rights office reported that in numerous instances, police personnel either abandoned their posts or received permission to leave from their commanders, whilst in other situations, officers faced mob violence resulting in their deaths.
