Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday accused Muhammad Yunus, the head of the country’s interim government, of perpetrating “genocide” and failing to protect minorities, The Indian Express reported.
The ousted Awami League leader, in her first public speech since she left the country, also alleged that there were plans to assassinate her and her sister Sheikh Rehana like their father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first president of independent Bangladesh.
“Today, I am being accused of genocide,” Hasina said in New York. “In reality, Yunus has been involved in genocide in a meticulously designed manner. The masterminds – the student coordinators and Yunus – are behind this genocide.”
Hasina claimed that Hindus, Buddhists and Christians have all been targeted, with eleven churches destroyed and temples and Buddhist shrines damaged, PTI reported.
“When the Hindus protested, the ISKCON leader was arrested,” she said, in an indirect reference to Hindu leader Chinmoy Krishna Das who was arrested on November 25 on sedition charges for allegedly disrespecting Bangladesh’s national flag.
“What is this persecution of minorities for?” she asked. “Why are they being ruthlessly persecuted and attacked? People no longer have the right to justice.”
Hasina resigned as the prime minister and fled to India on August 5 amid widespread protests against her Awami League government. Yunus, a Nobel laureate economist, took over as the head of an interim government on August 8.
Following the collapse of the Hasina government in August, several parts of Bangladesh reported incidents of violence against religious minorities. While Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Yunus to ensure the safety of Hindus and other minorities, the Bangladeshi leader maintained that reports of attacks on religious minorities in his country had been exaggerated.
The head of Bangladesh’s interim government said last month that around 1,500 persons were killed during protests against Hasina’s government in July and August, and vowed to ensure accountability for every killing.
Hasina has been in India since she fled Bangladesh amid protests against her government. On Wednesday, she said that when she left Bangladesh, she did not even have the time to resign.
“The armed protesters were directed towards Ganabhaban,” she said, referring to protesters in Bangladesh storming the prime minister’s official residence on August 5. “If the security guards had opened fire, many lives would have been lost. It was a matter of 25-30 minutes, and I was forced to leave. I told them [guards] not to fire, no matter what happened.”
Hasina described Yunus as “power-hungry” and alleged that he was involved in corruption and money laundering related to Grameen Bank’s microfinance operations.
Yunus founded the Grameen Bank in 1983 and headed it till 2011, when Hasina’s government removed him, saying that he had crossed the legal retirement age of 60.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!