Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh’s ousted Prime Minister lashed out following hundreds of protesters set fire to her father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s residence in Dhaka, stating that a “structure can be erased, but history cannot be wiped out”. However, Hasina, has been living in India since August 2024 when she fled Bangladesh after a student-led protest that toppled her Awami League’s 16-year regime, made the remarks in a speech posted on the party’s social media accounts.
The Prime Minister questioned about the aim behind the attack on the 32 Dhanmondi residence, a site of historical importance in Bangladesh’s independence struggle. Hasina stressed, “Why fear a house? I seek justice from the people of Bangladesh. Have I not done anything for my country? Then why such disrespect? The only memory that both my sister and I have clung to is being wiped out. A structure can be erased, but history cannot be wiped out”.
She warned, “They must also remember that history takes its revenge,” she warned. On Wednesday night, a mob vandalised and set fire to Bangladesh’s founding father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s house in Dhaka following Sheikh Hasina made an online appeal to Awami League workers to protest against the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government. The house became an iconic symbol in Bangladesh history as Mujibur largely led the pre-independence autonomy movement for decades from the residence. It was turned into a museum during Sheikh Hasina’s regime which would be visited by heads of state or dignitaries in line with state protocol.
THERE MUST BE SOME WORK LEFT FOR ME
Hasina during her address also reflected on past assassination attempts and said, “If Allah has kept me alive through all these attacks, there must be some work left for me. Otherwise, how could I have escaped death so many times?” She suggested that the recent movement was orchestrated to eliminate her and her family.
“The meticulous plan by Muhammad Yunus this time was to kill me and my sister,” she declared, pointing to the Nobel laureate as a key player in an alleged plot. While criticising Yunus, she said, she had helped his Grameen Bank and its ventures with funding of 400 crore Bangladeshi taka. She claimed, “But the entire amount was laundered. Bangladesh is suffering due to one man’s personal ambitions”.
DON’T HAND OVER INSTITUTIONS TO TERRORISTS
Hasina urged students to disengage from the protests, suggesting that many had been misled by political forces.
She stated, “At this age, it is easy to be manipulated.” The former Prime Minister also emphasised that genuine students had no role in the violence that followed the quota movement.
CONCERNS OVER GOVERNANCE, WOMEN’S RIGHTS
Sheikh Hasina pointed out an alleged series of governance failures since her departure, including disruptions in education. She stressed that under her administration, students received textbooks on time, but that is no longer the case. She voiced concern over restrictions on women in sports, signalling a regression in gender equality efforts.
CONDEMNS VIOLENCE AGAINST POLICE, AWAMI LEAGUE SUPPORTERS
Hasina highlighted the violence that occurred against police personnel and Awami League supporters following her departure, describing it as an attack on law and order. She warned that such incidents were destabilising the country and undermining democratic governance.
Sheikh Hasina’s address comes at a time when the Awami League is eyeing a political revival. Her message was clear: she sees herself as a survivor of multiple assassination attempts, believes a conspiracy is at play against her, and wants the people of Bangladesh to recognise and reject efforts to erase her Bangladesh’s legacy that dates to the 1971 Liberation War.
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