Bangladesh Crisis: Sheikh Hasina Sought No Asylum, Son Sajeeb Wazed Joy Dismisses Rumors

Washington DC: Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, dismissed asylum rumours and stated that his mother has no plans to leave Bangladesh and intends to retire to her village home at the end of her political term, regardless of her political status. Joy told news agency ANI that his family doesn’t have any greed for power, and their primary motive is to work for the betterment of the people of Bangladesh.
“These are all rumors, my mother has not applied for asylum anywhere. She has spent most of her life there (in Bangladesh) and does not want to live outside the country. Her plan at the end of this term was to retire and go live in her village home, whether she is in politics or not. She wants to go back home,” he said.
When asked about Sheikh Hasina’s plans of return to politics, Wazed refrained from making definitive comments, saying that the question should be directed to her. He pointed out that despite having the option to live abroad, his mother has chosen to stay in Bangladesh due to her deep love for the country.
“That (if Hasina would make a comeback to politics) I cannot answer, that you will have to ask her. In my family, none of us have ever had a greed for power or politics, other than my mother. The rest of my family has been settled abroad. I have been settled in the US for almost 30 years. But we want to work for our country,” he added.
Sajeeb also expressed his family’s commitment to restoring democracy and law and order in Bangladesh. “We cannot sit and watch this happen to our country. To restore democracy, to restore law and order, to keep the people of our country safe–whatever is required, we will do,” he said.
Sajeeb’s remarks on what’s happening in Bangladesh paints a picture of utter chaos with a crumbling legal system. The adversity faced by minorities and the apparent lack of enforcement from the police are particularly concerning. He made special mention of the lawlessness, the minorities being victimized, and the people’s endeavors to ensure their own safety. In this context, Sajeeb underscored the role of the Awami League, especially their young members, in safeguarding leaders and minority groups. But he didn’t ignore the fact that achieving such feats would be difficult across the nation due to the conspicuous absence of policing.