Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina sought to cling to power through the use of excessive force and further bloodshed even in her final hours before fleeing the country, International Crimes Tribunal Chief Prosecutor Muhammad Tajul Islam has said.
Presenting an investigation report at the tribunal on Sunday, Tajul claimed that Sheikh Rehana, the younger sister of Hasina, had pleaded with her sister at the Ganabhaban on August 5, urging her to resign by holding her feet.
“In the end, she still wanted to maintain power through excessive force and more bloodshed,” the chief prosecutor.
Tajul said: “On August 5, before leaving the country, Sheikh Hasina pressured the top officials of various state forces from 10:30am for nearly an hour. However, she was unwilling to accept that the situation was completely out of control. It was only after family members intervened that she agreed to resign.”
“Sheikh Hasina then resigned swiftly and, accompanied by her sister Sheikh Rehana, secretly left the country aboard a military helicopter,” he added.
The ICT chief prosecutor further stated that even after widespread clashes and fatalities across the country caused by her armed party activists on August 3, Hasina failed to quell the mass protests led by students and citizens.
"Realising the gravity of the situation, several advisers and party leaders tried to persuade her on the night of August 3, reportedly suggesting a transfer of power to the military. However, she rejected this advice and instead ordered a stricter curfew from August 4.
“Despite plans to tighten the curfew from dawn, demonstrators began to break it at various points after 9am. By 10am, crowds had grown across Dhaka. At this point, Obaidul Quader, Salman F Rahman, Anisul Huq, and Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal urged her not to step down.
"On August 5, around 10:30am, the chiefs of the army, navy, and air force, along with the inspector general of police (IGP), were summoned to Ganabhaban. She expressed frustration over the inability of security forces to control the situation. She was angry that protesters were climbing on armoured law enforcement vehicles and even military transports, painting them red. She also expressed disappointment that the top officials, whom she had trusted with their positions, were not acting more decisively.
“At one point, Sheikh Hasina pointed to the IGP and said the police were doing a good job. The IGP responded by saying the police could no longer maintain such a hardline stance given the intensity of the situation.”
Tajul continued: "The senior officials reportedly tried to explain to her that the crisis could no longer be managed through force. Sheikh Hasina remained adamant. The officials then spoke privately with Sheikh Rehana, urging her to convey the severity of the situation to her sister. Sheikh Rehana then entered into a conversation with Sheikh Hasina, holding her feet and begging her to resign. Sheikh Hasina was still reluctant to let go of power.
"At one point, a senior official contacted Sajeeb Wazed Joy, who was abroad. Joy then spoke to his mother, after which she agreed to step down. Sheikh Hasina wanted to record a farewell speech for the nation. However, intelligence sources had already reported that a massive number of student protesters were heading toward Ganabhaban from Shahbagh and Uttara. Based on the distance, they were expected to reach Ganabhaban within 45 minutes. It was deemed risky to allow her time to record a speech, as she might not be able to leave the premises safely.
"Following this, Sheikh Hasina, along with her sister Rehana, was taken to the helipad at Tejgaon airport. After completing the formal resignation process, she departed for India on a military helicopter at around 2:30pm."
According to a report by India Today, "Sheikh Hasina landed at Hindon airbase of the Indian Army near Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, at 5:36pm local time. An Indian army officer received her. She was expected to travel to London from there."
Tajul also said: “Awami League President Sheikh Hasina was sworn in as prime minister for a fourth consecutive term on January 11 last year. She first held the office in 1996 after the seventh general election. The Awami League lost in 2001, and Sheikh Hasina became the opposition leader.
“She returned to power after winning the ninth parliamentary elections under a caretaker government in 2008. In 2014, she held a one-sided election where 153 members of parliament were elected unopposed. Opposition parties boycotted the 10th parliament election, and Sheikh Hasina formed the government with her allies. In 2018, she became prime minister again through a controversial 11th parliamentary election, which was widely criticised for alleged ballot stuffing the night before. The election became known as the ‘night vote.'"
“Last January, the 12th parliamentary election was also boycotted by opposition parties. By fielding independent candidates from within her own party to simulate competition, Sheikh Hasina retained power. The opposition labelled it a ‘dummy election.’ Within seven months, amid a student uprising and mass protests, she resigned and left the country via helicopter,” the chief prosecutor concluded while reading the report aloud.
