Sheikh Hasina must remain silent until a request is made for her return, said Dr. Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government. Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted from power following a student-led people’s movement, left Bangladesh and sought refuge in India after resigning from her position as prime minister.
In an interview with India’s news agency PTI, Dr. Yunus expressed frustration over Sheikh Hasina’s actions. The interview was published today, Thursday, on PTI News’ website.
Nobel laureate economist Dr. Yunus said, “She should remain silent during her stay in India until Bangladesh calls for her return.” His remarks came in response to Sheikh Hasina’s recent political statements, which Yunus described as “unfriendly.”
Dr. Yunus further stated, “No one is comfortable with her presence in India. We want her back to stand trial. She is staying in India and speaking out at the same time, which is causing problems. If she remained silent, we would forget about it, and so would the people because she would be in her own world. But she’s in India, giving speeches and issuing directives, which no one likes.”
“Everyone understands this. We firmly say that she should remain silent. Her words and directives are unfriendly toward us. She has been given refuge, but from there, she is engaging in publicity. It’s not as if she arrived in a normal situation. She fled in the face of a public uprising and anger,” Yunus explained.
Dr. Yunus made these remarks following Sheikh Hasina’s statement on August 13, where she demanded “justice” and called for investigations and punishment for those involved in the recent “terrorist activities,” killings, and looting.
Dr. Yunus stated that India needs to move away from the narrative that labels everyone except Hasina as “Islamists.” He emphasized that Bangladesh would bring Hasina back because that is what the people want.
“Yes, she must be brought back, or else the people of Bangladesh will not have peace. Given the cruelty she has shown, she needs to be tried before everyone here,” said the interim government chief, Dr. Yunus.
Speaking on future India-Bangladesh relations, Dr. Yunus expressed optimism about maintaining strong ties with India. However, he said that India must abandon the narrative that stability in Bangladesh can only be ensured under Sheikh Hasina’s leadership. Dr. Yunus added, “India needs to move past this narrative that everyone else is an Islamist, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is Islamist, and that the rest will turn the country into Afghanistan. India is captivated by this narrative. They need to move beyond it. Bangladesh is just another neighboring country like any other.”
Addressing concerns about recent attacks on Bangladesh’s Hindu minority and India’s expressed concerns, Dr. Yunus dismissed the issue, calling it “just an excuse.” He further added, “The attempt to exaggerate the situation of minority communities is an excuse.”
Sheikh Hasina resigned on August 5 and fled to India amid the student-led movement. She has been in India since then, with increasing calls for her return to face justice.
The Bangladeshi government has already revoked her diplomatic passport, raising questions about whether she will be able to stay in India and the possibility of her extradition. According to Indian foreign ministry officials, Hasina was granted permission to enter India last month on short notice following her ouster.
