As Bangladesh scrambles to form an interim government and re-establish normalcy in the country, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed has cleared the air around the reports of his mother seeking asylum. Wazeed, who is based in Washington, said that Hasina has not sought asylum anywhere including the United States and the United Kingdom. Hasina is currently in India and there is no clarity on her next destination.
Wazed said that Hasina was already contemplating a retirement and after the coup, she decided to retire from politics. He said that Hasina is likely to divide her time among her family members. Wzed told NDTV that the question of the UK or the US not responding to her asylum request is not true as she has not sought shelter anywhere. He said that since the family members live in different countries, Hasina might be traveling between places. While Wazed is in the United States, Hasina’s sister is in London and her daughter is in Delhi.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon urged India to arrest the former Prime Minister and her sister, Sheikh Rehana, and return them to Bangladesh. As reported by Dhaka Tribune, Khokon said, “We want to maintain a positive relationship with the people of India. Please arrest Sheikh Hasina and Sheikh Rehana, who fled the country, and send them back to Bangladesh.”
Bangladesh is facing a fluid political situation with Sheikh Hasina, on August 5, tendering her resignation from her post in the wake of mounting protests. The protests, led mostly by students demanding an end to a quota system for government jobs, took the shape of anti-government protests.