Sajeeb Wazed (Image/X@sajeebwazed)
Sheikh Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed, on Tuesday dismissed suggestions that the United States exerted pressure on the family following the former Bangladesh prime minister’s ouster and July 2024 unrest. He said Washington’s approach had shifted and that there had been a “distinct change” under the Trump administration.Speaking to ANI, Wazed said there had been no threats from the US. “No, we’ve not received any threats whatsoever. The only slight issue was that the US was the only country that issued a negative statement on our 2024 elections, which our opposition boycotted. Other than that, the elections were regarded as peaceful by everyone. So there was no direct pressure,” he said.
Wazed added that the change in the US government had altered its posture toward Bangladesh. “Now, there is a completely new government in the US. The situation is completely different… We have seen a very distinct change in outlook. President Trump himself announced at a press conference earlier this year that the previous administration, through USAID, spent millions of dollars on regime change in Bangladesh. He was referring to the protests last year. The US attitude has definitely changed, and they’re more concerned about the threat of terrorism and the rise of Islamism in Bangladesh than the previous administration was.”His remarks came a day after the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced Hasina, 78, to death for “crimes against humanity” linked to her government’s crackdown on nationwide protests that left hundreds dead, including students.The tribunal, led by Justice Md Golam Mortuza Majumder, alleged she was the “mastermind and principal architect” behind the use of lethal force, including helicopters and drones, to suppress demonstrations.Her aide and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal also received a death sentence, while former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who testified as a state witness, was given five years in prison.Hasina, currently in exile in India, denounced the ruling, calling it a “rigged tribunal established and presided over by an unelected govt with no democratic mandate.” She said the judgment was “biased and politically motivated” and insisted that she and Kamal “acted in good faith and were trying to minimise the loss of life.”The Awami League announced a nationwide shutdown on Tuesday in protest against the verdict.Wazed, who had earlier warned of unrest, told Reuters in an interview that his mother was deeply distressed. “She’s upset, angry, outraged. And we are all determined to fight back by whatever means necessary,” he said.He cautioned that the Awami League could block next year’s national election if the party ban remains in place. “Our protests are going to get stronger and stronger, and we will do whatever it takes… eventually there’s probably going to be violence in Bangladesh before these elections … there’s going to be confrontations,” he said.He also reiterated that India is providing full protection to Hasina. “What can they do to my mother? My mother is safe in India. India is giving her full security.”
