‘Convinced her to leave, mob would have killed...’: Sheikh Hasina’s son on former PM’s escape from Bangladesh

Bangladesh protests: The son of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, claimed that his mother was convinced to flee the country by family and did not want to do so, local media reported.

“I was worried not because she was leaving Bangladesh, but because she didn't want to leave Bangladesh. We had to convince her. I said this is not a political movement anymore, this is a mob... they are going to kill you,” Joy said in an interview with Germany agency Deutsche Well.

He added that Hasina decided to resign only a day prior to the act and did not inform many people, but had no plans to leave till protestors began marching towards her house.

“She had made the decision a day earlier. Only a few of us knew that she would announce she was resigning and that her plan was to ensure a transition of power according to the Constitution. But when they (protesters) began marching towards Ganabhaban, we said out of fear, there was no more time. You have to leave now,” Joy told DW.

‘No Decision on Asylum Yet’

Further, Bangladesh newspaper The Daily Star reported that Joy claimed his mother has not decided whether to seek asylum in the United States or United Kingdom, and called it all “rumours”.

“These (reports about plan for asylum in the US and UK) are all rumours. She has not made a decision on that yet. She is going to stay in Delhi for a little while,” he told DW.

“There is no decision for her (Hasina) to move from India to another place. Sheikh Hasina is well and now in Delhi. My sister is with her. My sister lives in Delhi... She is well, but very upset,” he added.

Hasina arrived in India in the evening on August 5 after tendering her resignation as PM. It is not officially clear if she will continue to stay in Delhi or move to another location later, ANI reported.

‘No Plan To Enter Politics’

Responding to a question about leadership in Hasina's party, the Awami League, Joy said that he currently has no plans to enter politics. His possible entry into politics was earlier reported by Dhaka Tribune.

“There is no such plan right now. This is the third time a coup d'état was staged against our family. For the third time, we had to live abroad, losing everything. Except for my mother and me, all of us have been abroad for a long time. We are settled here. We have no difficulties in life here. We are accustomed to living here,” he said.

Earlier on August 6, Joy called on the police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and military to uphold the country's Constitution and prevent an unelected government from assuming power.

‘Hasina's Father Gave Life For Country, But People Insult Her’

Joy added that Hasina is sad that her father's sacrifice for the country is being tarnished and that she never imagined the people would attack her.

“She is saddened that her father gave his life for the country, and the entire family lost their lives. The country for which she was imprisoned, worked so hard, and made so much progress, that the people of this country would insult her in this way, expel her, and go on to attack her, was something none of us could have imagined,” he said in the interview.

He warned that failing to do so could jeopardise 15 years of progress for Bangladesh and potentially lead it down a path similar to Pakistan.

In a statement posted on social media site X (formerly known as Twitter), Joy said: “To the Police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and our military: I urge you to understand your responsibility--to keep our people safe, to keep our country safe, and to protect and uphold our constitution. This means that no unelected government should be allowed to hold power, even for one minute. This is your duty. If this happens, we risk ending up like Pakistan. All our 15 years of progress could be undone, and Bangladesh may never recover. I do not want that, and neither do you. As long as I am able, I will not allow it.”

Situation in Bangladesh

The political situation in Bangladesh is tumultous despite Hasina's resignation, protests have continued. The protests escalated from demands for the removal of quota system for government jobs into broader anti-government demonstrations.

On August 6, Dhaka Tribune reported that Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin has dissolved the country's parliament to facilitate the formation of an interim administration. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus was appointed as the head of Bangladesh's interim government, it added.

Joy condemned the ongoing protests, labelling them as terrorism. "Power cannot be seized through violence and killing. This is not a protest; when police killings occur, innocent people are targeted, homes are set on fire and journalists are killed--it turns into terrorism. Terrorism can only be fought in one way. I request that our law enforcement agencies have shown great patience. However, this cannot be tolerated any longer," he said.

Clashes in Dhaka have resulted in at least 135 fatalities, including 14 police officers, with hundreds more injured, according to local media outlets.

(With inputs from ANI)