NEW DELHI – The son of Bangladesh’s ousted autocratic leader, Sheikh Hasina, expressed gratitude to New Delhi on August 11 for “saving her life,” while accusing the interim government of permitting “mob rule” and warning of impending chaos if swift elections are not held. Sheikh Hasina, 76, resigned as prime minister on August 5 following a student-led uprising and fled by helicopter to India, a longstanding ally.
During her 15-year tenure, Hasina’s government faced accusations of severe human rights abuses, including the extrajudicial killing of thousands of political opponents. Following her resignation, the military announced her departure and accepted student demands that Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, 84, lead a caretaker administration tasked with restoring order and enacting democratic reforms.
However, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, 53, Hasina’s US-based son, criticized the interim government as “completely powerless” and composed of “figureheads.” Speaking to Agence France-Presse from Washington, Wazed warned, “Right now in Bangladesh, you have mob rule.” He cited the removal of top officials, including the chief justice, central bank governor, and police chief, following demands from protesters.
“If the mob tomorrow says, ‘No, we want this person in the interim government changed,’ they will have to be changed,” Wazed added.
While Yunus has stated his intention to hold elections “within a few months,” Wazed cautioned that delaying them could lead to further instability. “It’s in their best interest to hold elections… to restore a legitimate government with the authority and legitimacy of the people,” he said. “Otherwise, it’s just going to devolve into chaos.”
Hasina had swept the January elections, though the poll was widely criticized as neither free nor fair, with many opposition party members arrested in a crackdown.
Since Hasina fled, members of her Awami League party have gone into hiding, with reports of reprisal attacks and party offices being torched. However, Wazed emphasized the importance of the Awami League to Bangladesh’s political future. “We have tens of millions of followers; they’re not going anywhere,” he asserted. “You’re not going to be able to establish democracy in Bangladesh without the Awami League. It will never be accepted by at least half the country.”
Former opposition groups, including the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), are now rebuilding after years of repression. Wazed suggested that future politics in Bangladesh would likely be a contest between the BNP and the Awami League, calling for cooperation between the two parties.
While acknowledging that mistakes were made under his mother’s government, Wazed sought to shift blame onto others within the administration. “Were mistakes made? Of course,” he said. “They were made by people at the bottom, or in the chain of command… Blaming my mother for it is unfortunate.”
Wazed also noted that while some police officers used excessive force, there was violence on both sides, with 42 police officers among the more than 450 people killed in the unrest leading to Hasina’s ouster.
He further alleged that unidentified foreign forces supported the protests, though he provided no evidence to support this claim. “I believe, at this point, it is from beyond Bangladesh,” he suggested, speculating that only an intelligence agency would have the capability to smuggle and supply weapons to protesters.
The future for Sheikh Hasina remains uncertain. Wazed expressed his gratitude to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ensuring her safety, noting that she is being hosted in a secret safe house in India and has not spoken publicly since her arrival. While it is unclear how long she will stay in India, Wazed mentioned that there are no current plans for her to move to a third country.
“My mother never wanted to leave her country – her dream is to retire there,” he said, adding that he speaks to her every day. “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.”