Hasina Has To Be Tried In Font of Everyone: Yunus on Bringing Her Back to Bangladesh

Dhaka: One month has passed since former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forced to step down on August 5 following deadly clashes between police and student protesters in the nation. However, the debate over whether Bangladesh will bring Sheikh Hasina back continues to evoke strong reactions and remains unresolved.

The interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, has taken charge in the wake of her removal. Yunus has been vocal about the need for Hasina's return to face trial for her alleged actions.

Yunus stated, "Yes, she has to be brought back or else the people of Bangladesh won’t be at peace. The kind of atrocities she has committed, she has to be tried in front of everyone here." 

He also expressed concern with her presence in India and said, “No one is comfortable with her stance there in India because we want her back to try her. She is there in India and at times she is talking, which is problematic. Had she been quiet, we would have forgotten it; people would have also forgotten it as she would have been in her own world. But sitting in India, she is speaking and giving instructions. No one likes it.

Calling her political remarks from abroad an “unfriendly gesture”, Yunus stressed that if India wishes to keep Hasina until Bangladesh requests her extradition, she should remain silent to avoid discomfort for both countries. He added, “It is not good for us or for India. There is discomfort regarding it. If India wants to keep her until the time Bangladesh (government) wants her back, the condition would be that she has to keep quiet.”

Yunus, who was appointed Chief Adviser after Hasina’s ouster, emphasised that while Bangladesh values its strong ties with India, New Delhi must move beyond the narrative that only Hasina’s leadership ensures the country's stability.

He remarked, “The way forward is for India to come out of the narrative. The narrative is that everybody is Islamist, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is Islamist, and everyone else is Islamist and will make this country into Afghanistan. And Bangladesh is in safe hands with Sheikh Hasina at the helm only. India is captivated by this narrative. India has to come out of this narrative. Bangladesh, like any other nation, is another neighbour.”

Yunus also dismissed concerns raised by India regarding the treatment of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh, calling it an excuse. He added that the recent violence, which resulted in attacks on Hindu businesses and temples, occurred during the student-led unrest following Hasina’s removal.