Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the son of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has stated that his mother would not be making a political comeback, citing her disappointment with the recent unrest in the country.
“She is so disappointed that after all her hard work, for a minority to rise up against her,” Joy told Newshour on the BBC World Service on Monday.
Joy, who was an official adviser to the prime minister until today, stated that Hasina had been considering resigning since Sunday and had left the country for her safety after her family insisted.
“She has turned Bangladesh around. When she took over power it was considered a failing state. It was a poor country. Until today it was considered one of the rising tigers of Asia. She’s very disappointed,” Wazed was quoted as saying, defending his mother’s record in power.
Sheikh Hasina Wajid left the PM House amid nationwide protests against her government on Monday and subsequently fled to India. Bangladesh’s military has announced plans to form an interim government that will include political parties.
Her decision came after hundreds of thousands of Bangladeshi protesters demanding her resignation clashed with government supporters, with dozens killed in one of the deadliest days since demonstrations began.
On Sunday, at least 95 people were killed, including 14 police officers, with the rival sides battling with sticks and knives and security forces firing rifles, taking the total killed since protests began in July to at least 283.
Joy rejected accusations that the government had been heavy-handed in dealing with protesters, stating, “You’ve had policemen beaten to death – 13 just yesterday [Sunday]. So what do you expect the police to do when mobs are beating people to death?”
The comments come amid ongoing political turmoil in Bangladesh, with the country seeing widespread protests and unrest in recent days. The prime minister’s decision to step away from politics marks a significant shift in the country’s political landscape.
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Earlier media reported that there was a possibility of Hasina Wajid forming a government in exile.
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Shaukat Piracha of Aaj News said that Sheikh Hasina had probably left for India and it was not clear if Bangladesh would come under martial law or if any other form of government would take shape.
