In her first detailed public comments since fleeing to India amid a US-backed regime change last year, former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has categorically denied allegations of orchestrating a deadly crackdown on student protests, accused Muhammad Yunus’s interim government of sponsoring extremism that threatens bilateral ties with India, and vowed that her Awami League party will not participate in upcoming elections due to an unconstitutional ban.
Hasina spoke exclusively to Hindustan Times via email on Thursday, having led Bangladesh for five terms and overseen its transformation into one of South Asia’s fastest-growing economies. Her responses, delivered from her self-imposed exile in India, paint a picture of a leader unbowed by accusations of crimes against humanity and determined to reclaim her party’s role in Bangladeshi politics.
In the last 10 days, several international media outlets, including AFP, Reuters, The Independent, The Week magazine, and The New Indian Express, have published her interviews.
The HT interview comes as Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) prepares to deliver a verdict on November 13 in cases against Hasina and other Awami League leaders, where prosecutors have sought the death penalty.
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“I categorically deny all charges brought against me,” Hasina stated, dismissing the tribunal as a “kangaroo court” controlled by her “political opponents, who have seized power undemocratically.” She emphasized that “not a single Bangladeshi has ever had the chance to vote for this interim government,” highlighting its lack of legitimacy.
The 78-year-old leader, who escaped to India on August 5, 2024, after the Bangladesh Army sided with a BNP-Jamaat-led uprising, expressed profound gratitude to her host nation. “India is and has always been Bangladeshโs most important ally and must remain so if Bangladeshโs security and prosperity are to be maintained,” she said. “Speaking personally, I am deeply grateful to the Indian people for providing me with a safe haven this past year.”
Hasina’s ouster marked a dramatic end to her 15-year rule, during which she positioned Bangladesh as a stable partner to India, fostering unprecedented connectivity through projects like the Akhaura-Agartala rail link and the Maitri Setu bridge. However, relations have soured under Yunus, with New Delhi voicing concerns over attacks on minorities, the release of Northeast Indian insurgents, and warming ties with Pakistan and China. Hasina laid the blame squarely at Yunus’ feet, warning that his “sponsorship of extremists in his government” risks “undermining that fundamental relationship, to the detriment of both our nations.”
A ‘Kangaroo Court’ and the Shadow of Injustice
The ICT-BD cases, filed under the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, accuse Hasina and aides like Obaidul Quader of “systematic attacks” during the July-August 2024 protests, which the UN estimates claimed up to 1,400 lives. Hasina rejected the figures as inflated and unsubstantiated, insisting that “no persuasive evidence has been presented” and that audio recordings have been “manipulated and taken out of context.”
“I regret each and every life lost in last summerโs protests,” she conceded, describing the streets of Dhaka as “lawless and violent.” Her government, she claimed, established an independent inquiry into the unrest, which Yunus dismantled upon taking power. “Yunus and his cronies are using their bogus prosecution of me to distract international attention from these abuses,” Hasina alleged, pointing to “thousands of spurious cases” against Awami League supporters and over 1,000 police filings in the first 100 days of Yunus’s rule, as reported by Human Rights Watch.
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Hasina proposed an International Criminal Court (ICC) trial as the fair venue. “I have repeatedly challenged the Yunus administration to bring these charges before a genuinely impartial tribunal… where I could be tried fairly,” she said. The Awami League has already petitioned the ICC for an investigation into “retaliatory violence” against its members, including arbitrary detentions and deaths in custody. Hasina expressed confidence in its potential: “Crimes against humanity must be tried fairly by an impartial, international tribunal like the ICC.”
The Ban on Awami League: A Blow to Democracy
The most immediate flashpoint is the interim government’s ban on Awami League activities under the Anti-Terrorism Act and the suspension of its registration by the Election Commission, effectively barring it from the February 2026 polls. Hasina called it a “violation of Bangladeshโs Constitution” and a disenfranchisement of “millions of ordinary Bangladeshis.”
“There can be no hope for democracy when the countryโs oldest and most popular party is banned,” she declared. The Awami League, which has won nine elections since 1949, including the last four consecutively, commands the loyalty of a significant voter base. Hasina predicted mass abstention: “If they cannot vote for their preferred party, they will not vote at all.” She dismissed Yunus’s regime as illegitimate: “Nobody has ever had the chance to cast a vote for Dr. Yunus.”
India, which has stressed that Bangladesh’s elections must be “free, fair, inclusive, and participatory,” will likely view the exclusion as undermining credibility. Hasina agreed: “This ban is not only unjust, it is self-defeating… The next government will not have electoral legitimacy.” The party plans legal, diplomatic, and peaceful challenges to restore participation rights.
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The ban exacerbates fears of a BNP-Jamaat resurgence. Hasina warned of “rising extremism,” citing the release of convicted Northeast insurgents and “burgeoning contacts with the Pakistani military.” Under her rule, Bangladesh cracked down on such groups, but Yunus’s administration has faced accusations of leniency, including freeing militants linked to India’s security concerns.
Gratitude to India Amid Strained Ties
Hasina’s exile in India has become a diplomatic sore spot, with Dhaka demanding her extradition and accusing New Delhi of sheltering a “fugitive.” She refuted this, attributing bilateral frictions to Yunus’s “chaotic, violent, and extremist policies,” including “physical and judicial attacks on religious minorities” and “hostile rhetoric towards India.”
“India has always been a steadfast ally and friend to Bangladesh,” she affirmed, crediting her government with “broad and deep” ties through enhanced trade, transit, and infrastructure. Projects like the $1.8 billion India-Bangladesh Friendship Pipeline and the $3 billion power import deal from India exemplified this era of cooperation.
However, Yunus’ rule has reversed course. Attacks on Hindus have surged, with over 2,000 incidents reported in the first two weeks since August 2024. The release of al-Qaeda leaders like Jasimuddin Rahmani and overtures to Pakistan, including military visits, have alarmed New Delhi. Hasina linked these to Yunus’ “extremist sponsorship,” noting the “spread of radical Islamist ideology” and repression of women.
“I am deeply grateful to the Indian people for providing me with a safe haven,” Hasina said, echoing sentiments from her arrival in Delhi. Yet, she cautioned that Yunus’ shiftsโperceived as tilting toward China (via Belt and Road expansions) and Pakistanโjeopardize shared interests. “Todayโs chaos and degraded decision-making are not what India expects from us,” she added.
Legacy of Progress Under Threat
Hasina’s interview is a defiant defense of her legacy. She highlighted Bangladesh’s economic miracle under Awami League: GDP growth from 3.2% in 2009 to 7.2% in 2023, lifting millions from poverty. “We saw our economy grow by over 450%, delivered major infrastructure projects, expanded access to electricity, and provided employment for millions,” she boasted.
Key India collaborations included the $8 billion trans-shipment route via Bangladesh for Northeast states and joint ventures like the $1.6 billion Rampal power plant. Hasina warned that delays in these, coupled with Yunus’s economic mismanagementโIMF downgrades and inflation at 11%โcould undo gains. “Improved trade and transit with India were vital,” she said, lamenting “short-sighted policy shifts.”
On Yunus personally, Hasina questioned his credentials. From a Tk6,000-salary at Grameen Bank to billions in assets, including Tk5,000 crore in fixed deposits, she demanded transparency. “Where did the large sums donated to the Clinton Foundation come from?” she asked, referencing a 2015 tax evasion case and labor court convictions against him.
Hasina portrayed Yunus as opportunistic: “He began his career… with a salary of only Tk6,000. How then did he amass such vast wealth?” She accused him of hypocrisy, noting his “sponsorship of extremists” while decrying past “direct role in crackdowns.”
Road to Redemption: Call for Unity
As Bangladesh hurtles toward elections, Hasina’s message is one of resilience. “Our principal hope is that Bangladesh returns to constitutional rule,” she said, urging “free, fair, and inclusive elections.” She called on supporters to unite peacefully, warning that exclusion breeds instability.
The interview underscores a polarized nation: Yunus’s technocratic interim setup, backed by student activists and Western observers, versus Hasina’s mass-based Awami League, credited with modernization but criticized for authoritarianism. With GDP contracting 4% under Yunus and minority violence escalating, Hasina’s narrative resonates amid nostalgia for stability.
From her Indian refuge, Hasina remains a potent symbolโloved by millions, loathed by opponents. Her words signal no retreat: “Iโm not afraid to defend my record.” As Dhaka’s tribunal looms, the world watches whether Bangladesh’s democratic experiment endures or fractures further.
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