Hasina’s son accuses Bangladesh’s interim government of judicial manipulation, extremist releases and political repression, thanking India for asylum and warning of rising cross-border terror threats….reports Asian Lite News
Sheikh Hasina’s son and former ICT adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy has launched an uncompromising attack on the interim government in Dhaka, dismissing Bangladesh’s extradition request for his mother as “legally untenable” while thanking India for granting her asylum amid what he claims was a credible assassination plot.
In a detailed interview to ANI, Wazed accused the post-Hasina administration of dismantling judicial safeguards, manipulating courts, and releasing extremist elements, warning that the political turmoil in Bangladesh has now created a direct national security threat for India.
Hasina, who governed Bangladesh for 15 years, fled to India in August 2024 at the height of mass protests, deadly clashes and the collapse of her administration. Since then, Dhaka has pressed for her return to face multiple charges, but her son insists no valid legal case exists.
Wazed alleged that Bangladesh’s judicial system has been “radically compromised”, claiming that the interim-government removed 17 judges, altered laws without parliamentary oversight, and prevented Hasina’s defence lawyers from participating in court hearings.
“When there is no due process whatsoever, no country is going to extradite,” he told ANI, expressing confidence that India would firmly reject the request. He added that the legal process had been “disfigured to the point of absurdity”, making any trial “neither fair nor constitutionally grounded”.
He went further, accusing officials of plotting to eliminate her before she could leave the country. “India has essentially saved my mother’s life,” he said. “If she hadn’t left Bangladesh, the militants had planned on killing her.”
While acknowledging that his government mishandled the initial wave of protests in July 2024, he argued that the subsequent unrest amounted to a “political coup”, claiming external forces exploited the crisis to unseat his mother.
The allegations grew more serious as Wazed accused the Muhammad Yunus-led interim administration of releasing “tens of thousands of terrorists” previously convicted under Hasina’s rule. He claimed that extremist outfits, including Lashkar-e-Taiba, are now operating freely inside Bangladesh.
In remarks that will draw close scrutiny in New Delhi, he alleged links between these militants and recent attacks in the Indian capital. “I think Prime Minister Modi is probably very, very concerned about terrorism from Bangladesh,” he said, pointing to what he described as a rising cross-border security threat.
He also levelled accusations against Pakistan’s ISI, saying armed individuals seen during the protests had likely received weapons from across the border. “Without a doubt, these weapons had to have been supplied from somewhere in the subcontinent and the only possible source is ISI,” he alleged, referencing video footage of armed demonstrators.
Turning to international dynamics, Wazed invoked comments attributed to former US President Donald Trump, who allegedly claimed the Biden administration spent “millions” on “regime change” in Bangladesh through USAID. Wazed suggested the Trump administration appeared more attuned to the terror threat emerging from Bangladesh, though he did not confirm whether he had engaged directly with US officials.
He painted a bleak picture of life under the interim government, claiming that “tens of thousands of political prisoners” are currently being held without trial, including over 100 former MPs. The Yunus administration has defended its extended tenure as necessary to stabilise institutions after years of alleged centralisation of power under Hasina. However, it has not announced a clear election timeline, a point Wazed seized upon.
“If Muhammad Yunus was popular, then why would he not have held one election and then run the country with legitimacy?” he asked, citing polling that showed the student movement’s political party drawing only two per cent support.
Addressing long-standing corruption allegations against his mother’s government, Wazed conceded that corruption existed but argued it was not systemic. He highlighted Bangladesh’s economic transformation under Hasina—from graduating out of least developed country status to being viewed as a future “Asian tiger”. “This level of development and economic growth would not have been possible with major corruption,” he said, adding that Bangladesh had improved significantly from its earlier ranking as the world’s most corrupt country.
The interim administration in Dhaka has not issued a formal response to Wazed’s allegations, including claims of mass releases of convicted terrorists, judicial interference, or inflated numbers of political detainees.
With no timeline for elections and the political environment still volatile, Hasina’s asylum in India—and Wazed’s escalating allegations—are likely to deepen tensions between Dhaka and New Delhi while sharpening the geopolitical spotlight on Bangladesh’s turbulent transition.
