Hasina calls Yunus 'murderous fascist' in first public address since ouster in 2024

In her first address since arriving in India in 2024, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina launched a blistering attack on Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, accusing him of heading an “illegal, violent” regime.

Speaking via audio message to the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Delhi on January 23, 2026, she described the current state of Bangladesh as an “age of terror, lawlessness and democratic exile." Hasina framed the crisis as an existential battle, calling on her supporters to “overthrow the foreign-serving puppet regime” and restore the nation’s constitution.

Hasina’s rhetoric was unsparing, repeatedly labelling Yunus a “murderous fascist,” “usurer,” “money launderer,” and “power-hungry traitor." She claimed her removal on August 5, 2024, was the result of a “meticulously engineered conspiracy” that had since turned the country into “a vast prison, an execution ground, a valley of death."

More from World

‘End of the Hasina era’: Sheikh Hasina had planned to retire from politics, says son FirstUp: Japan PM to call snap elections, Minneapolis to mourn Renee Good... The headlines today

She further alleged that Yunus is pushing the motherland toward a “multinational conflict” by bartering away resources and territory to foreign interests.

Demands to ‘heal’ nation

To “heal” the nation, Hasina outlined five core demands. She first called for the removal of the “illegal Yunus administration” to restore democracy, asserting that “Bangladesh will never experience free and fair elections until the shadow of the Yunus clique is lifted from the people."

Her second demand focused on ending the daily street violence and lawlessness to allow for economic recovery. Third, she demanded an “ironclad guarantee” for the safety of religious minorities, women, and the most vulnerable citizens.

Quick Reads

View All

Over 5,000 killed in Iran protests, activists say many more would have died during internet blackout

India launches 'Responsible Nations Index' to rank countries beyond GDP and power

Fourth, she urged an end to politically motivated “lawfare” used to silence journalists and Awami League members, calling for a return to an impartial judiciary. Finally, she requested that the United Nations conduct a “new and truly impartial investigation” into the events of the past year to ensure a “purification of truth."

‘Restore homeland’

Positioning the Awami League as the nation’s essential custodian, Hasina urged “pro-Liberation” forces to unite and restore the state. She concluded by assuring her followers that “the international community stands with you” and vowing that her party would help “restore the thriving homeland that was snatched away."

Her hour-long indictment, broadcast to a packed hall in Delhi and over 100,000 viewers online, ended with the traditional slogans “Joy Bangla” and “Joy Bangabandhu." This speech comes less than three weeks before the national elections scheduled for February 12, 2026.