Overthrow Puppet Regime of Yunus: Sheikh Hasina to Bangladeshis

Bangladesh is scheduled to hold national elections on February 12. The activities of Sheikh Hasina’s party, the Awami League, have been banned and its registration suspended.

Addressing a gathering in New Delhi through a pre-recorded audio message, Hasina said Bangladesh stands “at the edge of an abyss,” navigating one of the most perilous chapters in its history. She alleged that the country has been ravaged by extremist communal forces and foreign perpetrators, turning the land into “a vast prison, an execution ground, a valley of death.”

This was Sheikh Hasina’s first address to a gathering in India since she arrived following violent protests in August 2024. She said the cries of people struggling to survive amid destruction can be heard everywhere, describing “heart-rending screams for relief.”

She launched a scathing attack on Muhammad Yunus, calling him a “murderous fascist,” a traitor, and accusing him of corruption and plunder. Hasina claimed she was forcibly ousted on August 5, 2024, in a “meticulously engineered conspiracy,” despite being a directly elected representative. “From that day forward, the nation has been plunged into an age of terror. Democracy is now in exile,” she said.

Hasina alleged widespread human rights violations, claiming freedom of the press has been extinguished and violence, torture, and sexual assault against women and girls continue unchecked. She said law and order has collapsed, religious minorities face persecution, and life and property are unsafe.

According to her, militant extremism has spread fear across the country, with mob violence, looting, armed robbery, and extortion prevailing from the capital to remote villages. She warned of an alleged plot to hand over Bangladesh’s territory and resources to foreign interests, claiming this could push the country toward multinational conflict.

Calling Yunus a “national enemy,” Hasina urged citizens to unite in the spirit of the Liberation War to overthrow what she described as a “foreign-serving puppet regime.” She appealed to democratic and progressive forces to take an oath to rebuild a humane, welfare-oriented democratic state.

She further described Bangladesh as being stifled by an unelected and violent regime whose promises have given way to chaos, hatred, and corruption. Urging people not to give up, she reaffirmed the Awami League’s historical role as a defender of democracy, pluralism, and the Constitution.

Outlining a roadmap, Hasina listed five “crucial steps” to rebuild the nation. These included restoring democracy by removing the Yunus administration, ending street violence and lawlessness, guaranteeing the safety of religious minorities, women, and vulnerable groups, and stopping politically motivated legal actions against journalists and political opponents.

She also called for restoring trust in the judiciary and urged the United Nations to conduct a new, impartial investigation into the events of the past year, saying truth is necessary for reconciliation and healing. “Together we are strong, and together we can make our demands heard,” she said.