Dhaka, Bangladesh – Sajeeb Wazed, son of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed, has issued a stark warning regarding his mother’s potential fate. In an exclusive interview, Wazed asserted that a special court is highly likely to sentence his mother to death.
Wazed emphasized that Sheikh Hasina is currently safe in exile in India. He also threatened to disrupt the upcoming February elections if the ban on her political party, Awami League, remains in place.
These statements come on the eve of a televised court verdict in Dhaka against Sheikh Hasina. She faces charges of crimes against humanity, stemming from the suppression of 2024 protests that reportedly resulted in approximately 1400 deaths, mostly at the hands of security forces. The former Prime Minister, who has been in exile in New Delhi since August 2024 after the end of her 15-year rule, denies all charges, labeling the trial politically motivated.
Wazed stressed that Awami League supporters would not allow the elections to proceed if the party ban persists. “We will do whatever it takes, and our protests will only intensify,” he stated, adding that the continued inaction of the international community could lead to pre-election violence.
These threats are likely to exacerbate existing tensions in Bangladesh, a nation already grappling with a surge of bombings and arson attacks in the capital ahead of the verdict and the scheduled February elections.
Speaking from Washington D.C., Wazed stated, “We know exactly what the verdict will be. They are broadcasting it on television. They will convict her, and they will likely sentence her to death.” He added, “What can they do to my mother? My mother is safe in India. India is providing her with full protection.”
The Awami League’s registration was suspended last May by the interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus. The government cited security concerns and ongoing war crimes investigations against party leaders as justification for the suspension and ban on political activities.
A government spokesperson has refuted Wazed’s warnings, deeming any incitement to violence from exiled political figures as “irresponsible and reprehensible.” The capital, Dhaka, is currently experiencing…
