Sheikh Hasina Addresses Supporters on Second Anniversary of Her Ouster from Bangladesh
On the second anniversary of her ouster from Bangladesh, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and president of the Bangladesh Awami League, Sheikh Hasina, addressed a gathering. During the event, Sheikh Hasina said, “This is not the Bangladesh for which 3 million people sacrificed their lives.” Referring to the 1971 Liberation Movement, she became emotional while speaking.
Sheikh Hasina said, “I am speaking as someone who has spent her life with the people of Bangladesh and who was forced to leave her country. But I have never been separated from my people.”
Sheikh Hasina said that she was not worried about her own future but about the future of Bangladesh. According to her, the people of Bangladesh want security, development, prosperity, and peace.
It Was an Organized Protest: Sheikh Hasina
Speaking about the protests in Bangladesh two years ago, Sheikh Hasina said, “For the past two years, I have watched my beloved Bangladesh go through difficult times. This is not the Bangladesh we built. This is not the Bangladesh for which 3 million people gave their lives in 1971.”
She added, “I want to begin by speaking about the truth of July and August 2024. This was not simply a peaceful student movement. From the very beginning, my government tried to resolve the issue peacefully through dialogue, legal procedures, and patience. But under the guise of demands for reform, some organized groups were attempting to turn the students’ demands into a violent political weapon.”
Sheikh Hasina’s Demands
Sheikh Hasina and her party raised several demands, including:
- The ban on the Awami League should be lifted.
- Political prisoners should be released.
- False cases should be withdrawn.
- Freedom of speech should be restored.
- Press freedom should be protected.
- The independence of the judiciary should be guaranteed.
- Law enforcement agencies should serve the people and should not be used by powerful individuals for political purposes.
“We Do Not Want Bangladesh to Become a Failed State”: Naufel
Before Sheikh Hasina spoke, leaders of her Awami League party living in exile also launched verbal attacks on Muhammad Yunus, the former chief adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government.
Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Naufel, who served as a minister in Sheikh Hasina’s government, said, “We do not want revenge. We only want justice.”
He appealed to people not to support religious extremism in Bangladesh.
Naufel further said, “We do not want to see Bangladesh become a failed state.”
