Long-time Bangladeshi leader Sheikh Hasina's son has refuted a media report which claimed that her mother had accused the United States of scheming to change the regime in Bangladesh and mentioned that she would have addressed this issue in her speech if she had the chance. Earlier, a media report claimed that before resigning as Bangladesh's Prime Minister and fleeing the country on August 5 amid violent student protests, Hasina intended to address the nation. In her undelivered speech, she would have accused the United States of conspiring to orchestrate a regime change in Bangladesh.
The media report has now been totally denied by Hasina's son Sajeed Wazeb in a social media post. He even dubbed the report as "false and fabricated". "The recent resignation statement attributed to my mother published in a newspaper is completely false and fabricated. I have just confirmed with her that she did not make any statement either before or since leaving Dhaka", Hasina's son wrote on X.
According to a media report, Hasina has said that the US had planned to remove her from power because she refused to give St. Martin Island. Hasina has said that getting this island could have helped the US gain influence over the Bay of Bengal.
'I resigned as don't want to see dead bodies': Hasina
“I resigned, so that I did not have to see the procession of dead bodies. They wanted to come to power over the dead bodies of students, but I did not allow it, I resigned from premiership. I could have remained in power if I had surrendered the sovereignty of Saint Martin Island and allowed America to hold sway over the Bay of Bengal. I beseech to the people of my land, 'Please do not be manipulated by radicals,” she said as quoted by Economic Times.
“If I had remained in the country, more lives would have been lost, more resources would have been destroyed. I made the extremely difficult decision to exit. I became your leader because you chose me, you were my strength,” Hasina further added. Expressing concern over the killings of her party leaders, Hasina said, “My heart cries upon receiving news that many leaders have been killed, workers are being harassed and their homes are subjected to vandalism and arson…With the grace of almighty Allah I will return soon. Awami League has stood up again and again. I shall forever pray for the future of Bangladesh, the nation that my great-father strived for. The country for which my father and family gave their lives.”
'Never called students Razakar, statement distorted' claims Hasina
Addressing the student protestors, who participated in the anti-quota movement, she said that her statements were distorted to incite them. “I would like to repeat to the young students of Bangladesh. I have never called you Razakars. Rather My words were distorted to incite you. I request you to watch the full video of that day. Conspirators have taken advantage of innocence and used you to destabilise the nation,” she emphasised.
(With inputs from agency)
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