 "In a leaked call, Sheikh Hasina says ‘close enough to return to Bangladesh soon’: Report")
A month after she fled the country, a recently leaked 10-minute phone call alleged that Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina might return to the country. The leaked call surfaced online and has managed to reignite controversy across social media and the political arena.
The 15-year-long reign of Hasina came to an end after she fled the country amid nationwide anti-government protests engulfed Bangladesh. Following Hasina’s exit, Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus took charge as the country’s chief adviser.
It is pertinent to note that the leaked phone call is yet to be officially authenticated. If true, the audio provides insight into the challenges the Awami League leader is facing while in exile. According to the Bangladeshi news outlet The Dhaka Tribune, the conversation reportedly took place between the former Bangladeshi premier and a man named Tanvir, who is apparently an Awami Party leader in the US.
What was said in the call?
As per the report, in the leaked call, Tanvir briefed Hansina about the difficulties Awami League leaders are facing, with many being “forced to stay outside their constituencies due to legal cases.” Hasina in return acknowledged the legal challenges, explaining that she herself is implicated in 113 cases. She also warned Tanvir about the potential legal trouble if he returned to Bangladesh. “There are murder cases against everyone," she said.
Hasina advised him to stay put and provide support remotely. In the call, she touched upon Bangladesh’s deteriorating economic conditions, claiming that the country is slipping back into poverty, and accused the current regime of looting banks and shutting down essential services.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“It doesn’t matter. If people are foolish, there’s nothing I can do about it," Hasina was reportedly heard saying in the leaked audio call. In the phone call, she also alluded to the fact that she might come back to Bangladesh “quickly”. “They are saying some strange things. I am very close to the country. I am not far away; I am close enough to return quickly," she replied.
Interestingly, the conversation also touched upon the upcoming US Presidential Elections. In the alleged call, Tanvir alluded that former US President Donald Trump might win the polls. However, Hasina expressed indifference over the matter and said that it doesn’t matter who wins the US presidency as long as they maintain political connections that could benefit the Awami League in the future.
Who is Tanvir?
According to The Dhaka Tribune, the man who was speaking to Hasina is Mohammad Tanvir Kaiser. Tanvir is currently seeking political asylum in the United States and has claimed in the past that he was “tortured” by the Awami League government.
He filed the application for asylum on May 7, 2020, after entering the US on a tourist visa in 2019. Tanvir reportedly arrived in the US through Los Angeles on June 4, 2019, and his Bangladeshi passport expired in January 2021. Tanvir’s official position within the Awami League remains unclear.
With inputs from agencies.
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