Sheikh Hasina alleges foreign mercenaries and extremist influence behind Bangladesh’s 2024 violence, accuses Yunus-led interim government of halting investigations, suppressing democracy, banning Awami League, persecuting minorities, and undermining sovereignty through illegitimate foreign realignments.
Deposed Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has raised serious concerns over possible foreign involvement in the violent unrest that led to the fall of her government in August 2024, suggesting that overseas mercenaries may have played a covert role in triggering chaos during the student-led agitation.
In an exclusive interaction with IANS, Sheikh Hasina said that while she could not definitively confirm the role of foreign powers in the takeover of the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, several aspects of the 2024 uprising remain unexplained and deeply troubling.
“I don’t know whether foreign powers had any involvement in Yunus’ seizure of power,” Hasina said, adding that “there are elements of the 2024 uprising that are unexplained.”
According to the former prime minister, multiple indications point toward the presence of external provocateurs who may have deliberately escalated violence at the very beginning of the protests. “There have been multiple suggestions that provocateurs, perhaps mercenaries from abroad, were involved in stirring up violence at the outset of the unrest,” she stated.
Sheikh Hasina, who is currently living in exile in India, revealed that her government had initiated a formal probe into the violence even before it spiralled out of control. In July 2024, she said, a Judicial Inquiry Committee was constituted to investigate the origins, funding, and coordination behind the unrest.
However, she alleged that the inquiry was abruptly halted after Muhammad Yunus assumed power as Chief Adviser of the interim administration in Dhaka. “As soon as Yunus took power, he halted this enquiry, no doubt because he knew that it would expose the meticulous plan he had organised to overthrow my government,” Hasina asserted.
The daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the architect of Bangladesh’s independence, said that the suspension of the inquiry itself raises serious questions about the true motivations behind the protests. “That decision alone raises serious questions about the motivation behind the protests, including the question of foreign involvement. Since then, there has been no serious investigation into the events of those days,” she added.
Hasina also strongly criticised the Yunus-led administration for banning the Awami League, calling it a deliberate attempt to suppress democratic competition. She insisted that the interim government is aware that her party would return to power through the ballot if elections were conducted fairly.
“The Awami League remains the country’s largest and most deeply-rooted political party. Our history is inseparable from Bangladesh’s independence and from the remarkable development we achieved as a nation,” she said.
According to her, the ban reflects political insecurity rather than reform. “The Yunus government knows that in any free, fair, and inclusive election, the Awami League would command overwhelming public support. That is the sole reason why they have banned us,” she claimed.
Describing the move as an attack on democratic principles, Hasina said banning a political party undermines the fundamental rights of citizens. “Banning a political party is not reform; it is a direct assault on democracy and the fundamental rights of our people,” she alleged, calling the upcoming elections “a farce” and “a carefully orchestrated mockery of democracy.”
Sheikh Hasina also expressed grave concern over the deteriorating law-and-order situation in Bangladesh. She alleged selective arrests and intimidation during the election process. “Police are freely arresting anyone who attempts to purchase nomination forms unless they belong to or are approved by the BNP or Jamaat-aligned groups, while genuine independent candidates have been barred from entering the elections,” she said.
Contrasting the current situation with her tenure, Hasina said that her government upheld freedom of expression and media independence. “Under our government, we welcomed criticism and ensured that journalists could write without fear, in keeping with the tenets of democracy,” she stated.
She accused the interim administration of stifling dissent through fear and violence. “Today, freedom of expression no longer exists. Anyone who dares to criticise Yunus’ government risks imprisonment, intimidation, or death. Media offices have been set on fire simply for speaking the truth. This is not governance; it is rule by terror,” she charged.
On the international front, Sheikh Hasina said that the global community had misjudged Muhammad Yunus as a liberal reformer. She argued that recent developments, including the persecution of minorities and the inclusion of radical elements in governance, have exposed the true nature of the regime.
“Yunus has long enjoyed the passive support of some western liberals, who wrongly thought he was one of them,” she said, adding that the appointment of individuals linked to Hizb-ut Tahrir and the erosion of constitutional safeguards should prompt a reassessment.
India banned Hizb-ut Tahrir over a year ago for its alleged goal of establishing a global Islamic caliphate through extremist means. Hasina warned that empowering such elements threatens regional stability.
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She further accused the interim government of recklessly pursuing foreign alliances that conflict with Bangladesh’s long-term interests. “The current instability we are seeing in Bangladesh is the direct result of extremist elements who have been emboldened and allowed to dictate our foreign policy,” she said, alleging a broader foreign nexus.
Highlighting Dhaka’s recent diplomatic realignments, Hasina said an unelected administration lacks the legitimacy to alter Bangladesh’s strategic direction. “Bangladesh’s sovereignty depends on democratic legitimacy. Without it, the country becomes vulnerable to external influence and internal manipulation alike,” she told IANS.
