Condemning the Yunus regime for gradual economic decline and suspension of social safety programmes, Awami League President and five-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has elaborated on her governmentโs measures to bring the people out of poverty.
In a virtual meeting on Wednesday, she mourned the death of an old man in a dustbin in the Hili area of Dinajpur.
โEveryone must have seen a picture today of a man lying dead in a dustbin. He was starving for a long time. He went to the dustbin to eat food, but he could not survive. He was found dead. This picture is unbearable.
โAfter I formed the government, there was no famine or Monga in the northern districts or anywhere. But today, an old man’s body is lying in a dustbin in the Hili area of โโDinajpur. The body has completely become a skeleton.โ
She said that Dr. Yunus talks big but has made a lot of money. He has seized power illegally, violating the Constitution. But he has failed to feed the people.
Bangladesh GDP 1.81% in first quarter of FY26โlowest in four years
HRSS: Human rights situation in Bangladesh is alarming
HRW slams Yunus for abuse of Anti-Terrorism Act to suppress Awami League
โThere was no shortage of food when I left power. I kept 20 lakh tons of food grains. Where did it all go?
โI used to give old age allowance, widow allowance, disability allowance… I used to give 30 kg of rice for free to the old people who cannot work. For those who can buy a little, they could buy rice for Tk10-15 per kg. We gave family cards to the low-income people and the working class, with which they could buy rice at Tk30 per kg and also lentils and oil. But Yunus has stopped all these social security schemes.
โHe ate all the money. In June 2024, I gave a budget of Tk7,97,000 crore. There were 140 types of social security programs. Where did the money go?โ
Sheikh Hasina said that this photo should shake the worldโs conscience. โThere were many criticisms in the case of a small incident in our time. Where are the critics now? I did not want to see this picture.โ
Regarding the propaganda centring on the 1974 famine, she said that it was man-made and well-orchestrated. โFood bought with cash could not reach the country, as it was taken back after reaching the port of Colombo. This famine was planned. The then Food Secretary Momin Khan was behind it. He was the father of BNP leader Abdul Moeen Khan. Momin Khan was awarded by Ziaur Rahman.โ
Yunusโ Misrule: Bangladesh grapples with inflation, unemployment
What is behind the hype over โsafe exitโ of advisers?
Hindu rights body concerned over legal action for bearded Asura idols
Describing her governmentโs measures to end food shortage and starvation in the northern districts, called Monga, during her first term from 1996 to 2001, Sheikh Hasina said: โI made plans to boost food production and created employment. After that, when BNP came to power, the same situation was seen again.
โAfter I formed the government in 2009, there was no food crisis until August 5, 2024. But by destroying that country today, Yunus is not only taking away the food from people’s faces but also taking away the safety and peace of their lives. Children cannot study, and their certificates are being cancelled. This was not supposed to happen. Yunus has to answer this.
โInternational organisations were so vocal in our time. Now, why are their voices mum?โ
She deplored that unspeakable torture is being carried out on the Awami League leaders and activists. โFor a year, they are wandering here and there, tortured in prison, and in case of illness, treatment is not allowed. They are killing people one after another.โ
Regarding the death of former minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun, Sheikh Hasina said that he had dengue. โAt Bangabandhu Medical University, they kept him in the emergency department overnight but did not give him treatment. They sent him back to jail. When he got diarrhoea and dengue, he was brought to Dhaka Medical College Hospital in a comatose state. He was kept in a bed where there was not even a bed sheet and left handcuffed. He was still handcuffed when he died.
Ex-minister Humayun remained handcuffed after death; family blames medical negligence
Custodial Death: Critically ill Tangail Jubo League leader dies as bail hearing deferred
โWhat was his crime? Was fighting the Liberation War his crime? He was a minister, a public representative. He did not seize power through militants in a meticulous design like Yunus.โ
Sheikh Hasina also mentioned the barbaric incident of Rajbari, where spiritual leader Nura Pagla’s body was dug out from his grave, beaten and burnt. โHas anyone seen this anywhere in the world?โ
She said that many Awami League leaders and activists were killed and burned. Their names and addresses are not available. The Yunus gang also killed the police and the Ansar.
While they are filing murder cases against the Awami League members, evidence shows that students were killed by 7.62 bullets. โWho fired these bullets? Why was there no investigation? I commissioned the investigation on July 18, but Yunus cancelled it as soon as he arrived. The committee was not allowed to work.โ
Slandering Yunus for corruption, Sheikh Hasina said that he finds corruption in everyone. โI will tell him to look in the mirror. And let his coordinators and advisers look in the mirror. The mirror will tell who is corrupt.
โThe Anti-Corruption Commission filed cases against Yunus for money laundering, embezzlement and tax evasion. Yunus was also convicted in the case of embezzlement of his company’s workers. As soon as he came to power, the sentence was overturned, and all the cases were withdrawn. If you have the courage, you could investigate and see if the complaints were true or not.โ
Sheikh Hasina vows to bring Yunus, BNP, Jamaat, militants to justice
Sheikh Hasina: I was misguided by Yunusโ sweet talk on poverty alleviation
Sheikh Hasina reflects on her achievements, condemns rising poverty and violence
She said that a female journalist is being harassed in jail because she investigated Yunus’ corruption. Detectives want to know what information she has.
โI want to tell Yunus and DB officials that the jailed journalist has no information. I have all the information.
โFrom the day Yunus conspired to stop [World Bank] financing the Padma Bridge, and he did not want to leave his post as MD of Grameen Bank despite holding it illegally for 10 years, I was suspicious. He is a horrible person.
โSince then, I have collected all the information on corruption against him. I had all the files. Incidentally, I had some data left in the cloud. I speak about his corruption based on the information. He has a lot of money in his bank accounts and has not paid taxes for his 38 companies. Cases were filed for these allegations. But all the cases have been withdrawn one by one.
โHe is a corrupt and a murderer. But he files cases against us and lies everywhere.โ
She said that Yunus is a master of blaming others for his misdeeds.
โA 14-year-old girl was raped in Khagrachhari, and people demanded justice. The person who committed the rape should have been arrested and prosecuted. He did not do so. Rather, he unleashed torture on the indigenous peoples, and several people were killed. Then they blamed the Awami League and India for this.โ
Sheikh Hasina said that Yunus captured power illegally. โHe has no right to judge elected representatives. This is an injustice and against the Constitution. He has constitutional legitimacy. He seized power by militants violating the Constitution.โ
Sheikh Hasina: Islam is not safe in the hands of Yunus-Jamaat clique
Will raise victory flag from the ruins of Dhanmondi 32 once again, says Sheikh Hasina
She also said that Yunus had been behind the militant attack on the Holy Artisan Bakery, the August 21 grenade attack, the attack on the British High Commissioner at Hazrat Shahjalal shrine in Sylhet, the 10-truck arms smuggling, and the BDR mutiny.
โYunus has released all the militants accused of these incidents. Why did he do so? Because Yunus was behind all these [crimes]. One day it will be proven in court.โ
Asking the party leaders and activists to unite, Sheikh Hasina said that everyone must take to the streets with whatever they have to save the country from the murderous fascist Yunus gang.
โI have faith in the people of Bangladesh. I am with the people. Restoring the country’s democracy, establishing the rule of law, releasing the prisoners, withdrawing the false case and prosecuting those who are guilty i.e. Yunus, his coordinators and advisers โ I will do it.
โThose who killed the Awami League leaders and activists, those who set them on fire, should be identified, and action should be taken.
โWe have nothing left to lose; everything is gone. We lost everything,โ she said, adding that all these criminals would be brought to book. โThe country must be protected from the hands of this usurer, Yunus. The people of the country must be saved. That’s why I would say that wherever there is, whatever you have, you have to resist it in whatever way you can.โ
English