Kolkata, Aug 8: Sheikh Hasina, who quit as prime minister and fled Bangladesh, will be back in the country as soon as democracy is restored, his son Sajeeb Wazed Joy said on Thursday and blamed Pakistan's intelligence agency, ISI, for fuelling the ongoing unrest in the country. Joy said that although 76-year-old Hasina would definitely return to Bangladesh, it has not yet been decided whether she will be back as a “retired or active” politician. He also asserted that the members of the Sheikh Mujib (Sheikh Mujibur Rahman) family will neither abandon its people nor leave the beleaguered Awami League in the lurch.
He expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government for protecting his mother and appealed to India to help build international opinion and exert pressure to restore democracy in Bangladesh. “Yes, it is true that I had said she wouldn't return to Bangladesh. But a lot has changed in the last two days following continuous attacks on our leaders and party workers across the country. Now we are going to do whatever it takes to keep our people safe; we are not going to leave them alone.”
“Awami League is the largest and oldest political party in Bangladesh, so we cannot just walk away from our people. She will definitely return to Bangladesh once democracy is restored,” he told PTI over the phone.
Terming Awami League an “all-weather ally of India”, he said India must ensure the security of Awami League leaders in Bangladesh by building international pressure. Joy also urged the interim government, headed by Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus, to restore law and order, noting that “the country is turning into a state of anarchy and becoming a second Afghanistan in the region.” He said he also expects the interim government to create a level playing field whenever democracy is restored and fresh elections are held.
“You cannot exclude the Awami League and have a representative democracy in Bangladesh ever. Whatever his (Mohammed Yunus) personal views are, he has said that he wants a government of unity and wants to move forward and not let the mistakes of the past cloud over the future. I hope he stays true to his word,”he asserted.
Prof Yunus took oath as the head of Bangladesh's interim government on Thursday and was administered the oath of office by President Mohammed Shahabuddin at a ceremony in Dhaka.
