Hasina’s son says she’s safe in India amid unrest.
Hasina’s son says she’s safe in India, fearing the court may deliver a death sentence as Bangladesh faces violent unrest.
Tensions flared across Dhaka and several other regions of Bangladesh on Sunday as the country braced for a crucial verdict in the high-profile crimes-against-humanity case involving ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Hours before the ruling, the capital saw multiple crude bomb explosions, arson attacks, and sudden outbreaks of violence, heightening fears of a nationwide breakdown in law and order.
Amid this turmoil, Hasina’s son and adviser, Sajeeb Wazed, issued a striking statement from Washington, claiming that the court was almost certain to sentence his mother to death. Wazed said the family had already prepared for the worst. They’re televising it. They’re going to convict her, and they’ll probably sentence her to death,” he told Reuters. He added that his mother was safe in India, receiving full protection and being treated “like a head of state,” offering some reassurance to anxious supporters.
Wazed also warned that Bangladesh could witness even more turmoil if the interim government refused to lift the ban on the Awami League, the party long led by Hasina. Our protests are going to get stronger and stronger, and we will do whatever it takes,” he insisted, suggesting that widespread confrontations were inevitable unless the international community intervened.
However, the interim government responded sharply. A spokesperson said there were no plans to reverse the ban on the Awami League and condemned any incitement to violence—especially from political leaders living abroad. The spokesperson emphasized that there was currently “no dialogue space” for the party, accusing it of refusing to acknowledge or apologise for alleged atrocities committed under its rule. The government reiterated its commitment to accountability processes, including those carried out under the International Crimes Tribunal.
The unrest on the ground reflected the political standoff. On a single day—November 12—police reported thirty-two blasts and dozens of buses set ablaze. Law enforcement officials have since arrested multiple Awami League activists on charges of sabotage. Wazed confirmed that he and his mother remained in close contact with party members in Bangladesh, though neither had communicated with the interim administration or with the rival Bangladesh Nationalist Party, widely expected to take power in the next election.
“You’re seeing shutdowns across the country, massive protests, and they’re only going to get bigger,” Wazed warned, highlighting the growing anger among party loyalists.
Sheikh Hasina has lived in exile in New Delhi since fleeing Bangladesh in August 2024. She and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan are being tried in absentia on charges linked to the deaths of hundreds during the student-led uprising of July and August 2024. A UN report estimated that as many as 1,400 people were killed, while Bangladesh’s interim government reported over 800 deaths and roughly 14,000 injuries—figures that continue to haunt a nation already on edge as it awaits the court’s decision.