In a powerful virtual meeting on Saturday, Awami League President and five-time former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina spoke directly to families of party members brutally persecuted by BNP-Jamaat supporters since July 2024 under what she described as the murderous fascist regime of Muhammad Yunus.
The hour-long session was marked by raw emotion as Sheikh Hasina condemned the interim administration for granting impunity to attackers, destroying the economy, and orchestrating a fundamentally rigged election from which her party was deliberately excluded.
She launched a scathing attack on the February 12 election and the accompanying referendum, declaring both a complete farce engineered by Yunus and the Election Commission (EC).
She rejected the polls outright: “We wanted to participate in the election but were barred. How can it be called participatory?”
She accused the authorities of blatant manipulation: “This time, Bangladesh saw voting beginning in the evening before the election day. The turnout jumped to 60% in several hours from 14% and then 32%. They rigged votes. Many people could not cast their votes.”
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Sheikh Hasina also dismissed the referendum results: “The vote for ‘yes’ was inflated. Yunus and the EC have shown how rigging can be done.”
She pointed to observer reports of empty polling centres and asked: “How can an election without Awami League be participatory and inclusive? Even observers saw empty polling centres.”
In a direct warning, she vowed to prosecute Yunus, the chief election commissioner, and the commissioners for the vote rigging.
She also alleged systemic looting by the “Yunus gang” over the past 18 months, pointing to ballooning public debt as proof of economic sabotage.
She lambasted the interim government for economic ruin: “Loans have reached Tk24 lakh crore from Tk2 lakh crore, loss of jobs and closure of factories, and suicidal agreements.”
Listening To Victims
Sheikh Hasina spent nearly an hour hearing firsthand accounts of suffering from victims and their families. She instructed surviving Awami League members who endured brutal attacks to formally document the atrocities and file cases against the perpetrators.
She assured medical care: “I will ensure treatment for the injured party members.”
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Recalling her own response during earlier unrest, she said: “I spoke to victims’ families at Bangabhaban, gave them financial aid, and provided free treatment of the injured.”
July-August Anarchy
Sheikh Hasina accused the student-led movement of turning violent almost immediately, claiming it used the anti-quota banner as cover for destruction.
“The student-led movement turned violent from the outset. It began with vandalism and arson under the guise of anti-quota protests. They killed Dhaka College student Sobuj Mia on July 16, 2024.”
She contrasted this with the post-August 2024 chaos: “Meanwhile, they created a terrible situation of anarchy and arson attacks, freed militants and terrorists from jail, and killed and fatally injured party members across the country.”
No Justice Under Yunus Regime
Sheikh Hasina described the interim government as having “gifted dead bodies” to the nation, leaving countless families in grief without any accountability.
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“Yunus captured power and has gifted dead bodies to the countrymen; many families are in grief, but there is no justice.”
She alleged widespread media suppression: “The media is not writing these reports in fear of mob attacks.”
Even regime sympathisers have not been spared, she noted: “Yunus’ friend Mahfuz Anam is also dismayed after his newspaper office was attacked.”
She accused the regime of rewriting history by honouring those responsible for violence: “Those who killed police and our party members and carried out arson attacks have been declared July heroes.”
Defending her 15-year rule, she stated: “My crime was developing the country.”
Sheikh Hasina, the elder daughter of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, delivered a resolute message of solidarity and future accountability. “I will ensure justice for all the crimes one day,” she vowed.
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Addressing grieving families directly, she added: “Those who have lost their near and dear ones, be strong. I’ll ensure justice. I’ll be by your side.”
Harsh Treatment Of Senior Leaders
Sheikh Hasina highlighted the inhumane treatment of senior Awami League figures: “Senior AL leaders, ministers, and MPs are taken to court and jail in handcuffs; they are denied treatment; former minister Ramesh Chandra Sen was fit but was denied treatment when he fell ill in jail.”
She questioned selective impunity: “Yunus has insulted the former chief election commissioner. How could he do this? The former chief justice was handcuffed. Those who committed these crimes have not been given punishment.”
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