Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina should be arrested and tried, said Nahid Islam, advisor to the interim government and leader of anti-discrimination student movement. He made this comment in an interview given to Reuters on Friday (August 9).
This student-coordinator, who led the quota reform movement and later the mass uprising against the Awami League government, said, ‘Many innocent people were killed in a planned manner during the students’ movement on the orders of Hasina. Sheikh Hasina should be punished for these murders.’
General students of various universities and colleges started a movement last July to demand abolition of freedom fighter quota in government jobs and reform of quota system. Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina commented in a press conference in this regard, ‘Freedom fighters will not get quota, will Razakar’s children get it?’ His statement was considered insulting by the student crowd. They protested and chanted slogans, ‘I wanted rights, I became Razakar. Tui Razakar I Razakar, who said who said? Dictatorship is tyranny.’ After that, the Awami League government brought the Chhatra League-Youth League along with the law and order forces to suppress the agitators. The entire movement turned into a clash, with at least 300 people killed in firing and clashes. Sheikh Hasina left the country after being forced to resign in the face of student uprising.
Sheikh Hasina has currently taken refuge in India. Dr. Bangladesh. An interim government has taken over under the leadership of Yunus, who is talking about normalizing the overall situation as well as restoring democracy to the country. On the other hand, Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajib Wazed Joy said that Sheikh Hasina will return to the country if democratic elections are organized in the country. Awami League will turn around again.
In this context, Nahid Islam, adviser to the interim government and student leader, said, ‘I am curious about why Sheikh Hasina fled the country. India had good relations not with the people of this country, but only with Hasina’s government. Their foreign policy needs to be looked at. Besides, we want justice for the murders that have been committed under Hasina’s direct guidance while she was in power. When the anti-discrimination student movement turned into a mass uprising, our demands included this too. If Sheikh Hasina does not return, we will take measures to bring her back.
Nahid Islam also said, ‘We want to arrest Sheikh Hasina and face trial. We are discussing whether this is possible under the existing law or a special tribunal is required, what will be the process.’
On Thursday (August 8), Nahid Islam was sworn in as an adviser to the interim government along with others. He has been assigned as an advisor to the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and Information and Communication Technology.
Nahid Islam said, ‘One of the important tasks of the interim government is to organize neutral and transparent elections in the future. There was no effective opposition participation in the previous elections. Besides, we will work to investigate the corruption incidents of the previous government and take necessary measures.’
If you want to become the prime minister of this country in the future, Nahid said, “What I will do in the future will depend on the wishes of the people of the country.”