Hasina's son claims she'll go back to Bangladesh

Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the son of Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, has announced that his mother will return to the country once elections are officially declared.

Following a period of intense turmoil, Ms Hasina decided to resign and leave the country. She is currently residing in India.

According to reports from Bangladeshi media, over 500 individuals lost their lives during weeks of protests against Ms. Hasina. Law enforcement officers reportedly shot several individuals.

In a shocking turn of events, a staggering number of individuals have been left injured in what can only be described as the most severe outbreak of violence witnessed in Bangladesh since its war of independence back in 1971.

"Certainly, she will come to Bangladesh," Mr. Wazed informs the BBC, expressing his confidence that his mother will return once the interim government determines the timing of the elections.

The interim government, led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, was inaugurated on Thursday, along with 16 advisers. Two of the student protest leaders are among the advisers.

Mr. Wazed, an information technology expert, currently resides in the United States.

During her tenure as prime minister from 2009 to 2024, he served as an IT adviser to Ms Hasina for several years.

"She will return," her son states.

"The decision of whether she will return to politics remains undecided." She expressed her dissatisfaction with the way she was treated.

Last month, a student-led movement began protesting against quotas in civil service jobs. However, it quickly escalated into widespread unrest to remove Ms. Hasina from power after a harsh police crackdown.

According to Mr. Joy, the Awami League, led by Ms. Hasina, is strongly believed to win the upcoming polls.

"If elections were held in Bangladesh today, with a fair and unbiased process, the Awami League would likely emerge victorious," he asserts.

In January 2024, Ms Hasina secured her fourth consecutive term as prime minister in a controversial election.

He claims to have been in contact with party supporters deeply disturbed and angered by recent events.

"What would be the impact if the Awami League, with its millions of supporters, were to hold protests? This question arises from the recent events where a mere 40,000 protesters managed to force the government to resign," he confidently states.

Ms Hasina and her sister, Rehana Siddiq, have been stranded in Delhi since Monday.

India has consistently shown strong support for the Bangladeshi leader.

Speculation has arisen that she may seek asylum in the UK, the United Arab Emirates, or Saudi Arabia.

"The questions surrounding her visa and asylum status are merely rumors," her son asserts.

"She has not submitted any applications." She remains in her current location, closely observing the developments in Bangladesh.

She has always had a strong desire to return to her homeland in Bangladesh.

When questioned about the extensively documented human rights violations and extrajudicial killings that occurred during his mother's 15-year tenure, he acknowledges that specific errors were indeed made.

"Certainly, there were individuals within our government who made errors, but we consistently corrected our course," he asserts.

There was a member of the special police force who happened to be the son of a minister. He has been incarcerated after being found guilty of engaging in extrajudicial killings. That is truly remarkable.

"My mother made an effort to act by the law," her son asserts.

The main opposition parties refused to participate in the election, claiming that under Ms Hasina's government, there could not be a "free and fair election."

In a bold statement, her son declared the interim government unconstitutional, emphasizing the urgent need for elections within 90 days.

Nevertheless, he remained cautious when discussing his political aspirations or plans to return to the country and vie for leadership within the Awami League. This would entail following in the esteemed footsteps of his grandfather, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the esteemed founding leader of Bangladesh, and his mother, Ms. Hasina.

No definitive conclusion has been reached on this matter. He states that he never had any political ambitions.

However, he expresses his distress regarding the protesters' actions of looting and burning their ancestral homes, which also included the museum honoring his grandfather in Dhaka.

"Given the current situation, I am feeling a strong anger and determination," he declares.