Bangladesh has turned into a ‘terrorist country’: Sheikh Hasina targets Yunus, vows to return

Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said that she will return to the country soon, saying that the interim government’s head, Muhammad Yunus, turned Bangladesh into a “terrorist country.”

“Allah kept me alive for a reason and the day will come when justice will be brought," she told her supporters, referring to her party, Awami League’s members who have faced persecution since Hasina’s ouster.

Describing Yunus as “someone who never loved the people” of Bangladesh, Hasina said, “He loaned out small amounts at high interest rates and used the money to live lavishly abroad. We could not understand his duplicity then, so we helped him a lot. But people did not benefit. He did well for himself. Then developed a lust for power that is burning Bangladesh now.”

Hasina fled to India last year after a widespread student uprising led to the fall of her government. Her ouster followed the creation of an interim government under Yunus. While Yunus has been in power for nearly eight months now, Bangladeshi elections will be held by the end of this year.

The ousted prime minister said that the Southeast Asian country has turned into a “terrorist country”, adding, “Our leaders and workers are being killed in a way that cannot be described. Awami League, cops, lawyers, journalists, artists, everyone is being targeted.”

“I lost my father, mother, brother, everyone in one day. And then they did not let us return to the country. I know the pain of losing your own. Allah keeps protecting me, maybe he wants to get some good done through me. Those who have committed these crimes must be punished. This is my pledge," she said.

Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Yunus for the first time since Hasina fled the country. During the 40-minute meeting that took place on the sidelines of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral and Technical Cooperation (BIMSTEC) summit here, Modi also underscored India’s support for a democratic, stable, peaceful, progressive and inclusive Bangladesh.

At the meeting, Yunus also flagged the issues of the extradition of deposed Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina and border killings.

With inputs from agencies