Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Sheikh Hasina’s son, rejected the legitimacy of Dhaka’s extradition request, saying there were violations of judicial standards in the cases against his mother and the former Bangladesh prime minister.
In an interview with ANI, Joy expressed deep gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for granting her asylum in August 2024 and alleged that militants were planning to assassinate her.
“They suspended 17 judges before the trial, illegally amended the laws without the consent of Parliament and prevented her lawyers from trial,” he told ANI. “When there is no due process, no country will extradite.”
He expressed confidence that the Indian authorities would reject the request, citing the absence of proper legal procedures in Dhaka.
Hasina faces several charges in Bangladesh related to her 15-year tenure, but Joy insists the judicial process has been fundamentally compromised by the interim government.
He explained the circumstances of his mother’s dramatic passing and credited India with saving her life. “India basically saved my mother’s life. If she didn’t leave Bangladesh, the militants planned to kill her.”
While Joy acknowledged his government’s “mishandling” of the initial protests in July 2024, he characterized the subsequent events as an organized “political coup” rather than a spontaneous popular uprising.
In claims likely to resonate with the security establishment in New Delhi, Joy claimed that Yunus’ interim government had released “tens of thousands of terrorists”, previously convicted under Sheikh Hasina’s rule.
He alleged that Lashkar-e-Taiba was now operating freely in Bangladesh, claiming a link between its local branch and the recent terror attacks in Delhi.
“I think Prime Minister Modi is probably very, very concerned about terrorism from Bangladesh,” he said, directly linking the political upheaval in Dhaka to India’s security concerns.
The accusations come amid already strained relations between the two neighbors over the treatment of minorities and border security.
Sajeeb Wazed Joy questioned the legitimacy of the interim government and asked why elections were not held when Yunus had genuine public support. He cited polling data showing that the student movement’s political party received only two percent support.
“If Muhammad Yunus was popular, why wouldn’t he hold one election and then legitimately rule the country?” he asked.
The interim administration has defended its extended tenure as necessary to implement reforms after what it describes as years of authoritarian rule.
However, she has not yet announced a fixed date for the elections.
