Since leaving Bangladesh in 2024, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressed a public gathering for the first time in India. Speaking at an event through a pre-recorded audio message at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Delhi, Hasina launched a blistering attack on Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus and accused him of running an "illegal, violent" regime and plunging the country into an age of terror, lawlessness and democratic exile.
The event was titled "Save democracy in Bangladesh".
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She called up on the citizens to rise up against the interim administration headed by Yunus and said that it was not capable of delivering free and fair polls.
Ironically, her address came a day after campaigning began in Bangladesh. The general elections in Bangladesh are slated for February 12 and the Awami League, Hasina's party, has been barred from contesting.
Hasina spoke just under three weeks prior to the Bangladesh general elections and stated her desire for an end to violence and chaos in the nation. She requested an "ironclad guarantee" for the safety of vulnerable populations, including refugees, women and people of diverse backgrounds, according to a report by Hindustan Times.
Additionally, Hasina urged the United Nations to conduct "a new and truly impartial investigation" into the events that transpired following the collapse of her government.
Here are some excerpts from her speech:
Hasina began with "Bangladesh stands today at the edge of an abyss", as she invoked the legacy of the Liberation War and her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
She described the country as "a vast prison, an execution ground, a valley of death" and accused extremist groups and foreign interests of destroying the nation. Her speech lasted an hour and focused on a political critique of the current government in Dhaka. She claimed that she was forced out of office on August 5, 2024, through a "meticulously-engineered conspiracy."
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Since that day, Hasina stated, "the nation has been plunged into an age of terror. Democracy is now in exile." She noted that human rights had been "trampled into the dust" and press freedom had vanished. Violence against women and minorities was allowed to grow without restraint, she claimed.
Barbs on Yunus
Hasina accused Yunus of draining the nation’s resources and pushing Bangladesh toward a dangerous "multinational conflict" by allegedly giving away its land and resources to foreign interests.
"By betraying the nation, the murderous fascist Yunus is driving our beloved motherland toward disaster," she said, warning of a "dangerous plot" that threatens sovereignty. Her speech served as both a rallying cry and a condemnation.
Hasina called on "all democratic, progressive and non-communal forces of the pro-Liberation camp" to unite and restore the Constitution "written in the blood of martyrs". Her words echoed the slogans and symbols of Bangladesh's Independence movement, culminating in chants of "Joy Bangla" and "Joy Bangabandhu" at the end.
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Hasina also aimed to position the Awami League as the only true guardian of the country's democratic and diverse traditions. She described the party as "independent Bangladesh's oldest and most important political party," saying it was "deeply connected to our country's culture and democracy". She pledged that it would help the people "restore the thriving homeland that was taken away".
Lays out five demands
In a more organised political appeal, she outlined five demands essential to "healing" the country.
The first demand was to remove what she called the "illegal Yunus administration" to restore democracy and enable free and fair elections. She stated that Bangladesh would never have free and fair elections until the Yunus clique's influence is gone.
Her second demand called for an end to daily street violence and lawlessness. She argued that stability is necessary for economic recovery and effective civic services.
The third demand focused on a strong guarantee for the safety of religious minorities, women and the most vulnerable groups. She said that targeted attacks must stop so that everyone can feel secure in their own community. "Democracy is now in exile. Human rights have been trampled into the dust. Freedom of the press has been extinguished. Violence, torture and sexual assault against women and girls remain unchecked," she said.
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Fourth, Hasina asked for an end to what she described as politically-motivated "lawfare". This included using legal processes to intimidate, silence and imprison journalists, Awami League members and other opposition figures. She urged restoring trust in the judiciary as an "impartial and trustworthy institution".
Her fifth and final demand was for the United Nations to carry out a new and genuinely impartial investigation into the events of the past year. She argued that only a purification of truth could allow the nation to reconcile and move forward.
