Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in India after fleeing her country, on Wednesday demanded an “investigation to identify and bring to justice those responsible for these heinous killings and acts of sabotage” during last month’s anti-government protests.
In her first statement since she fled the country, Hasina said that “acts of sabotage, arson, and violence in the name of movements” had resulted in many innocent citizens losing their lives since July. Her son and former advisor Sajeeb Wazed shared the statement in a post on X.
“Students, teachers, police officers – including pregnant women – journalists, cultural activists, workers, leaders, activists of the Awami League [and its affiliated organisations], pedestrians, and others who were working in various establishments have fallen victim to terrorist aggression and lost their lives,” she said.
On August 5, Hasina resigned and fled Bangladesh after the student-led protests against a controversial quota scheme for government jobs, which started in July, evolved into a broader agitation against her Awami League government.
Three days later, Nobel laureate economist Muhammad Yunus took over as the head of an interim government.
On Wednesday, Hasina recalled the family members she lost when her father and former President Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated on August 15, 1975.
Rahman’s sons and their wives, his brother’s family, and other close colleagues and associates, were also killed on the same night by the army as part of a coup.
“I pray for the eternal peace of all those who were martyred on August 15, and I offer my deepest respects to their memory,” she said.
Hours after Hasina’s departure from Bangladesh, protestors vandalised a statue of Rahman, who is considered a key figure of Bangladesh’s independence movement. The Bangabandhu Memorial Museum in Dhaka, which was earlier his residence, was also set on fire.
“All of that has been reduced to ashes,” Hasina said in her statement. “The very memory that was our lifeline has been burned to the ground. This is a profound insult to the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, under whose leadership we achieved our self-respect, our identity, and our independent nation.”
Hasina said it was a “grave dishonour to the blood of millions of martyrs”. She added that she sought justice from the people of the country.
“I urge you to observe National Mourning Day on August 15 with due respect and solemnity,” she said. “Please offer floral tributes and prayers at the Bangabandhu Memorial Museum and pray for the peace of the departed souls.”
Muhammad Yunus visits Hindu temple, assures equality
Muhammad Yunus on Tuesday visited the Dhakeshwari temple in Dhaka, where he met leaders from the Hindu community and assured equal rights for all, The Daily Star reported.
Following the collapse of the Awami League government, several parts of Bangladesh have reportedincidents of violence against religious minorities.
“Rights are equal for everyone,” Yunus said on Tuesday. “We are all one people with one right. Do not make any distinctions among us. Please assist us. Exercise patience, and later judge – what we were able to do and not do. If we fail, then criticise us.”
He said that his administration aimed to create an environment where Hindus and other minority groups no longer had to fear for their safety.
Also read: Unemployment, political chasms, economic distress: Bangladesh interim government has its hands full
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