Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina, has called on India to take a leadership role in ensuring that elections are held within 90 days as per the constitution amid the ongoing political crisis.
In an interview with The Indian Express on Tuesday, Joy emphasized the importance of upholding Bangladesh's Constitution and ensuring that elections are conducted within the stipulated timeframe.
He said: "I would hope India would ensure that elections are held within the constitutional timeframe of 90 days, that the mob rule is stopped, and that the Awami League is allowed to campaign and reorganize. If that is ensured, I’m still confident that we will win the election… We still remain the most popular party.”
In the interview, Joy also admitted that the government mishandled the student protests that had escalated the political unrest.
He acknowledged that the government should have engaged with the protesters from the very beginning and spoken out against the controversial quotas earlier.
"I believe our government should have spoken out against the quotas and met with the protesters from the beginning instead of leaving it to the courts… Our government filed an appeal with the Supreme Court to reduce the quotas. I recommended we take a public stance, stating the court made a mistake and we don’t want the quotas. But our government chose not to, expecting the judicial system to handle it,” Joy said.
He also alleged foreign interference in the violent turn the protests took, suggesting that a foreign intelligence agency may have been involved.
"I firmly believe that a foreign intelligence agency was involved, especially because many of the demonstrators, starting from July 15, were armed with firearms. Firearms are very difficult to obtain in Bangladesh due to our successful control of militancy over the last 15 years. The only organization capable of smuggling firearms into the country and supplying them to demonstrators would be a foreign intelligence agency,” he claimed.
Joy described the events leading up to his mother's departure from Bangladesh on August 5, revealing that Hasina had no intention of leaving the country initially.
He explained that she was preparing to resign and announce it publicly when her special security force insisted she leave immediately due to escalating danger.
"She had no intention of leaving the country. She was going to resign, submit a resignation to the president, and announce it in a public statement. I believe she was drafting the statement and preparing to record an interview. Everything was planned. In fact, she was about to start recording when the special security said, ‘Ma’am, there’s no time. We have to go now,’” Joy recounted.
Joy also expressed gratitude towards India for providing refuge to Hasina, clarifying that she has not applied for asylum in any country despite rumours.
"She’s waiting to see how the situation unfolds in Bangladesh," he said, adding that Hasina would likely remain in India for the time being.
He praised the Indian government for its swift response in ensuring her safety, stating: “It’s thanks to Prime Minister Modi’s government that they responded quickly… to save her life and move her to a very secure location, so she is safe.”
When asked if he planned to travel to India to meet Hasina, Joy expressed his desire to do so but was uncertain about the timing.
