DHAKA: Bangladesh’s interim leader Muhammad Yunus on Thursday urged ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina to “keep quiet” while she remains in exile in India until she is brought home for trial.
Hasina, who fled Bangladesh on August 5 as protests erupted, is currently in India where she sought refuge after being ousted from power.
Yunus, who is heading the interim government following Hasina’s dramatic removal, expressed frustration over Hasina’s continued public statements and political activities from abroad.
In an interview with the Press Trust of India, Yunus, 84, said, “If India wants to keep her until the time Bangladesh wants her back, the condition would be that she has to keep quiet. Sitting in India, she is speaking and giving instructions. No one likes it. It’s not good for us or for India.”
Hasina, 76, led Bangladesh with an iron fist for 15 years before being ousted amid widespread unrest. Her escape to India has exacerbated tensions between the neighboring nations, with her presence inflaming political sensitivities in Bangladesh.
After her arrival in India, Hasina made a public call for Bangladeshis to gather in Dhaka to commemorate the 1975 assassination of her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the country’s independence hero. This call was perceived as a provocative move to rally her supporters and potentially disrupt the fragile stability in Bangladesh following her removal.
The situation escalated when a counter-demonstration against Hasina’s call turned violent. Supporters of her Awami League party were attacked by a mob outside her childhood home in Dhaka.
Yunus, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate recognized for his work in microfinance, returned to Bangladesh from Europe three days after Hasina’s departure to lead a transitional government. His administration is under significant pressure to address the demands for democratic reforms and to oversee fresh elections. However, Yunus’s government has yet to commit to a specific timeline for these elections.
The interim leader has not confirmed whether a formal extradition request for Hasina has been made to India. While Yunus has indicated a desire for Hasina to cease her political activities from exile, the interim government has not officially demanded her return.
On Thursday, Kazi Habibul Awal, the head of the Bangladesh Election Commission, resigned, citing the “changed scenario” in the country. Awal, who oversaw a controversial election in January where Hasina was re-elected amid a boycott by opposition parties, denied allegations of political interference in his tenure.
The ongoing unrest and Hasina’s presence in India have fueled public demonstrations in Dhaka. Thousands gathered to mark one month since her removal, with some protestors calling for her to be punished for alleged human rights abuses and the deaths of protesters during the recent unrest.
