Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India after resigning as prime minister of Bangladesh amid mass protests, has not decided on her next destination. Instead, she plans to stay in Delhi for a while, said her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy.
In an interview with German-based international broadcaster Deutsche Welle, Joy revealed that the five-time prime minister is upset, struggling to believe that people for whom she and her family did so much could stage an attack that would force her to leave the country "disgracefully."
When asked about Hasina's plans for asylum in the United States or the United Kingdom, Joy said, "These are all rumors. She has not made a decision on that yet. She is going to stay in Delhi for a little while. My sister is with her, so she is not alone."
The video interview was uploaded to the Facebook page of Deutsche Welle at midnight.
Asked about her escape and his feelings during that time, Joy said his mother didn't want to leave. "I was worried not because she was leaving Bangladesh, but because she didn't want to leave Bangladesh. We had to convince her. I said this is not a political movement anymore, this is a mob… they are going to kill you," he said.
Regarding whether the military or anyone else set a timeframe for her to leave, Joy said no deadline was given, but there was an estimate that if they did not move within a certain timeframe, they wouldn't be able to move.
Asked why she did not announce her resignation, Joy said time was needed for preparatory work for the transition of power.
Regarding the risk to Awami League activists due to Hasina leaving the country, Joy said attacks on Awami League members started before the fall of the government. He mentioned that attacks occurred in Dhaka and other places, resulting in deaths. "All are blaming the government and Awami League [for the violence]. It is not right."
When asked if he plans to join politics, Joy laughed and said, "There is no such plan right now. This is the third time a coup d'état was staged against our family." He noted that all his family members, except Hasina, have been abroad for a long time and are settled in their respective lives. He added that he worked hard for the last 15 years to make Digital Bangladesh without taking any pay.
Joy was also asked whether Sheikh Rehana or any other family member would join politics. He responded, "It is not their duty anymore. It seems that they are trying to finish Awami League, and even if elections are held, there is doubt whether they will allow AL to participate in it."
He stressed that Awami League will not go extinct and that it would win a free and fair election. Joy also mentioned that no one had discussed the interim government with AL. "If they hold an election without AL, would half of the country's people accept that election? Supporters of AL will never accept it."
When asked about Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus potentially being the chief adviser of the interim government, Joy said, "I do not have a comment on it." He added that civil society has been trying for a long time to give Yunus a chance to lead the country, and now he has that opportunity. "I want to see how he leads the country. Leading a country is not so easy," he remarked.
Joy expressed concerns about the current situation, comparing it to Syria and suggesting that Bangladesh might face similar challenges as Pakistan. He concluded, "People will soon start saying that Sheikh Hasina's rule was the golden period of Bangladesh."
Source: DW