1 week ago
Hasina Vows to Return as Bangladesh Faces Political Crisis
Sheikh Hasina, a former leader of Bangladesh, says she wants to return home by December.
She spoke from Delhi during an event attended by foreign journalists.
The article says millions of people heard her message even though local media were reportedly stopped from covering it.
Hasina said Bangladesh is facing economic problems, power shortages and political violence.
She and her supporters also warned that extremist groups may be gaining influence.
The current government and its supporters reject her political importance and have pursued legal action against her.
The article says India and the United States may support elections that include her party.
It remains uncertain whether Hasina will return and what would happen if she did.
Sheikh Hasina used a Delhi media event to vow she would return to Bangladesh by December and seek to surrender to the Dhaka International Crimes Tribunal.
The article says her address reached more than 50 million people despite Bangladesh’s reported ban on domestic media coverage.
Hasina and her supporters blamed the Tarique Rahman-led government for economic decline, political violence and rising militancy, while disputing official accounts of events since July 2024.
The article claims Hasina’s popularity has risen sharply and argues that the Awami League remains central to Bangladesh’s politics.
The article says India and the United States increasingly favor inclusive elections and unbanning the Awami League, while Rahman’s government reportedly seeks Hasina’s extradition and prosecution.
- Who
- Sheikh Hasina, the Tarique Rahman-led government, the Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party are the principal political actors discussed.
- What
- Hasina announced her intention to return to Bangladesh and surrender to the Dhaka International Crimes Tribunal, while presenting a plan for political and economic recovery.
- Where
- Hasina spoke at the Delhi Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Delhi, India; the political dispute concerns Bangladesh, particularly Dhaka.
- When
- The address was described as recent; Hasina said she intended to return by December. The article also discusses events beginning July 16, 2024, and a parliamentary poll held last February.
- Why
- Hasina said her return could help restore Bangladesh’s stability and progress, while the article says her opponents want her extradited and prosecuted.
Hasina, Awami League and supporters
Rahman-led government and opponents
Hasina’s political relevance
Hasina, Awami League and supporters
Hasina’s supporters argue that her popularity has increased, that the Awami League remains essential to Bangladesh’s politics and that she can help reverse economic and political decline.
Rahman-led government and opponents
Tarique Rahman is described as asserting that Hasina is politically irrelevant and inconsequential.
Cause of Bangladesh’s crisis
Hasina, Awami League and supporters
Hasina and her allies blame the current government and Islamist militants for violence, economic deterioration, attacks on police facilities and growing religious influence in state institutions.
Rahman-led government and opponents
The Rahman-led government is presented as rejecting Hasina’s account and pursuing legal action against her; the article does not provide the government’s full response to each allegation.
Justice and elections
Hasina, Awami League and supporters
Hasina’s side characterizes her tribunal proceedings as a sham and calls for inclusive, participatory elections with the Awami League unbanned.
Rahman-led government and opponents
The article says Rahman’s government wants Hasina extradited and prosecuted, reportedly making her handover conditional on his proposed visit to Delhi.
Key facts
- Return pledge
- Sheikh Hasina said she would return to Bangladesh by December.
- Tribunal
- Hasina said she would surrender to the Dhaka International Crimes Tribunal, which she described as corrupt and politically manipulated.
- Audience
- The article claims more than 50 million people heard her address, including nearly half in Bangladesh.
- Economic claims
- The article reports runaway inflation, shortages, energy outages, factory closures and major job losses in Bangladesh.
- Popularity claim
- Citing Prothom Alo, the article claims Hasina’s popularity rose from 30% in July 2024 to 80% currently.
- Political proposal
- The article says India and the United States favor inclusive elections and unbanning the Awami League.
- Disputed death toll
- The article cites a claim that 3,000 police officers were killed, while Md Yunus reportedly gave a figure of 44.
Quotes
Mohsin Rashid
Former president of the Bangladesh Muslim League and a Bangladeshi legal figure
“This is because her track record proves that only she can save Bangladesh from becoming a failed state. I was once an inveterate critic of Hasina. But now I am her most ardent supporter as her governance skills alone can reverse our nation's current pathetic state. Not long ago she had made Bangladesh one of Asia’s emerging tigers. Our GDP has plummeted from 6.8% in her days to less than 2% now”
deccanchronicle.com
“Bangladesh exists only in name. Its ideals and spirit are now Pakistani. The nation’s control is in the hands of war criminals”
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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