Sheikh Hasina to return to Bangladesh? Ex-PM’s son reverses stance on her political future

PTC Web Desk: Amid uncertainty surrounding former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s travel plans, her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, announced on Thursday that the 76-year-old leader would return to Bangladesh once democracy was restored. Joy also mentioned that it has yet to be decided whether Hasina would come back as a “retired or active” politician.

Sajeeb Wazed Joy’s remarks came shortly after he had initially told a TV news channel that Sheikh Hasina would not return to 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,” a news agency quoted him as saying.

He said, “The 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.”

Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted from power, fled to India in a military aircraft following her resignation, landing at Hindon Airbase near New Delhi on Monday. She has since been moved from the airbase to an undisclosed safe location, according to sources familiar with the situation.

In the meantime, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, a vocal critic of Hasina who returned to Dhaka on Thursday to lead an interim government, has called for calm amid ongoing violence in parts of Bangladesh. Joy expressed hope that Yunus would remain committed to moving forward without allowing “past mistakes to overshadow the future.”