“She did not want to leave….”: Hasina's Son Defends Her Departure, Cites Safety Concerns Amid Deadly Protests in Bangladesh

Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, has fled the country due to escalating violence and political unrest. Her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, who also served as her chief advisor stated that Hasina’s decision to leave the country was driven by concerns for her safety. "She did not want to leave but it was for her safety reasons," said Sajeeb Wazed Joy.

"It was her dream to turn Bangladesh into a developed country and she worked so hard for it over the last 15 years," said Joy to NDTV. He highlighted her efforts to protect the nation from militants and terrorism during her tenure. He added that his mother will not make a comeback to politics but will now spend more time with her grandchildren.

The situation in Bangladesh has deteriorated significantly, leading Hasina to resign on August 3 amid violent anti-government protests that have claimed at least 300 lives. Hasina arrived at Hindon Air Base in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, on a C-130 transport aircraft. There have been speculations about her seeking political asylum in London; however, her son has refuted these claims, stating that no decision has been made regarding her future plans.

Sajeeb Wazed Joy condemned the actions of the protesters, drawing a parallel between the current violence and the historical conflicts faced by his family. "The same powers who killed my grandfather — the minorities that opposed the independence of Bangladesh — are using the current situation to deny and destroy their hard-fought struggle for freedom,” said Sheikh Hasina’s son to NDTV.

Following Hasina's departure, Bangladesh’s Army chief Waker-Uz-Zaman announced that the military would oversee an interim government. He also promised that investigations would be conducted into the recent violence and injustices. Despite these assurances, Joy expressed skepticism about the military’s ability to restore order. "The opposition and the militants, they are not only vandalizing, they are also hunting out our leaders, former ministers and even, I hear, minorities," Joy told NDTV.

In response to the unrest, Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin has dissolved the Parliament and ordered the release of prisoners detained during the protests, including former Prime Minister and key opposition leader Khaleda Zia. The violence has also extended to Hasina’s properties, where protesters have vandalized her official residence and burned down her family’s ancestral home.​