Virginia [US], November 19 (ANI): After a Bangladesh court sentenced ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death, her son Sajeeb Wazed accused the previous US administration of spending “millions of dollars on regime change” in Bangladesh but said the “US attitude has definitely changed” under President Donald Trump.
Wazed, who currently lives in the United States while his mother remains in exile in India, told ANI that Washington’s approach today is “very distinctly” different from what it was during last year’s political unrest. He said, “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.”
When asked whether the Hasina government had received any threats from the US administration at the time, he responded, “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… Now, there is a completely new government in the US. The situation is completely different.”
Wazed reiterated that the American stance has “definitely changed,” saying President Trump is more focused on the “threat of terrorism and the rise of Islamism in Bangladesh” than the previous administration. “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,” he said.
The protests that ultimately led to the ousting of Bangladesh’s longest-serving Prime Minister began in early July 2024, driven by groups identified as “students.” As unrest escalated, large crowds stormed Hasina’s official residence in Dhaka amid reports of widespread violence and looting. The turmoil, after weeks of intensifying demonstrations, prompted Hasina to resign and flee to India, where she remains in exile.
Wazed expressed deep appreciation for India’s role during the crisis, crediting New Delhi for ensuring Sheikh Hasina’s safety when violence surged in Dhaka. “India has always been a good friend. In the crisis, India essentially saved my mother’s life. If she hadn’t left Bangladesh, the militants had planned on killing her. So, I am eternally grateful to Prime Minister Modi’s government for saving my mother’s life,” he said.
Wazed also addressed questions about Hasina’s possible extradition to Bangladesh, requested by the current Yunus administration. He argued that the “unelected, unconstitutional and illegal” Dhaka government failed to follow proper judicial procedures while sentencing her to death.
“For an extradition to happen, the judicial process has to be followed. In Bangladesh, there is a government that’s unelected, unconstitutional and illegal. In order to convict my mother, they amended laws to fast-track her trial… So these laws were amended illegally. My mother was not allowed to hire her defense attorneys. Her attorneys weren’t even allowed into the courts,” he said.
He added that the trial was tainted by political interference. “Seventeen judges were terminated at the court before the trial, new judges appointed, some of whom had absolutely no experience on the bench and were politically connected. So, there was no due process whatsoever… For extradition to happen, there has to be due process,” Wazed said.
On November 17, Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal convicted the 78-year-old former prime minister of “crimes against humanity” related to the July–August 2024 uprising. Local media reported that the tribunal delivered the verdict in absentia, as Hasina has been living in India since the collapse of her government. (ANI)
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