Photo: Protesters scaled a public monument to celebrate following the announcement of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation. Photo Courtesy: AP
London: Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the son of Bangladesh’s ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, confirmed on Monday that his mother will not be making a political comeback. In an interview with the BBC World Service’s Newshour, Joy explained that Hasina, 76, resigned and departed for India due to escalating mass protests against her government. Joy emphasized that Hasina’s departure was driven by safety concerns and was a decision influenced by her family’s insistence.
Joy detailed that Hasina had been contemplating resignation since Sunday and ultimately chose to leave the country to protect herself. He conveyed his mother’s deep disappointment, highlighting her significant contributions to Bangladesh’s development. Joy noted that under Hasina’s leadership, Bangladesh transformed from a struggling state into one of Asia’s emerging economic successes, but she felt disheartened by the opposition and unrest despite her hard work.
The recent turmoil in Bangladesh saw violent clashes erupt between protesters demanding Hasina’s resignation and supporters of the ruling Awami League. These protests followed a series of deadly confrontations between police and student demonstrators, resulting in over 200 deaths. In total, at least 300 people have been killed in the past two weeks.
In defense of the government’s actions, Joy rejected allegations of excessive force. He pointed out that police officers had been violently attacked, including the deaths of 13 officers in one day, and argued that such circumstances necessitated a strong response from law enforcement. The protests were largely driven by opposition to a controversial quota system that allocated 30 percent of government jobs to the descendants of veterans from Bangladesh’s 1971 War of Independence.
