No one could have imagined that the quota reform movement would lead to the overthrow of the government, said former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's son and former information technology adviser Sajib Wazed Joy. 

Besides, Sheikh Hasina was thinking about resigning a day or two ago but there was no preparation to leave the country. Joy claimed that Sheikh Hasina had as much time to leave the country as it would take for the angry people to reach the Ganabhaban. 

In an interview with the BBC's South Asia Editor Ethirajan Anbarasan, Sajeev Wazed talks about the situation at that time and various issues leading up to the fall of the government.

Sajib Wazed said, my mother never wanted to leave Bangladesh. He had to convince us. He was planning to resign, he wanted to give a speech and hand over power according to the constitution. But the angry people announced marching towards Ganabhaban, we family members pleaded with him that they are coming for violence, they can kill, you have to leave for safety.

Joy said my aunt (Sheikh Rehana) was with her. My mother wanted my aunt to take a helicopter to the military air base. But our mother did not want to get up. Then I told her and my aunt, she (Sheikh Hasina) must go.

He said that Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka by helicopter. From there he reached India's Agartala and later Delhi.

When asked whether Sheikh Hasina's government made a mistake in reviewing the entire situation, Sajib Wazed said that no one thought that the situation would turn in this direction. None of us thought that this violent movement would eventually lead to the overthrow of the government. We understood that some unknown group behind the violence on July 15 chanted ``Amara Razakar'' while marching in Dhaka University at midnight. Then they clashed with our supporters. The police tried hard to stop the clash. I believe that those who shouted those slogans on that day, we still don't know who they were who shouted those slogans at midnight, are responsible for creating this situation.

Our government never wanted to use force on the protestors, rather the police guarded them, there was no order to attack them. 

My family and I grew up overseas and live there. I worked as a free consultant for digitization of Bangladesh. I have succeeded, I have taken digital connectivity to the villages of Bangladesh. Those Bangladeshi people did this to my mother, disrespected my grandfather, who is the founder of this country, it is very difficult for me to accept. I don't want to have any relation with the people of Bangladesh.

Answering a question from BBC why the problem which could have been solved by just issuing an executive order resulted in so many lives, Joy said, earlier our government had canceled the quota. The High Court later upheld it on the petition of the family members of the freedom fighters. Our government's legal team was also trying to meet the students' demands in court. It was already in the legal process. But in the meantime violence started. Force has been wrong, but it has been on both sides. Students died, civilians died, police died too.

When asked who will lead the Awami League now, Sajib Wazed said, the party will survive. After 1975, when most of the top leaders were in jail, the party survived. It is Adarsh ​​party, the only democratic party in the country which was formed democratically before independence. 

The other two factions were created by military rulers. The party will choose their leader. But now they are trying to eliminate our team. The activists are being attacked, they are looking for our ministers, many are hiding, many have gone abroad.

When asked whether Sajeeb has any desire to lead Wazed back home, he said, to be honest, there is no such desire. This is the third shock for my family. They should get leaders like people. Now mob rule is going on in Bangladesh.

Awami League may not be allowed to participate in the next election. Maybe BNP-Jamaat will win the election. The future of Bangladesh is actually dark.

Many people are complaining that during the time of Awami League there was a lot of repression and many people were disappeared. Even the two were recently released after eight years of disappearance.

When asked about this allegation, he said, something must have gone wrong. There were many people in the government who made these mistakes. But we have always tried to fix them. A minister's son in our government, was a member of special forces but went to jail for extrajudicial killings (seven murders in Narayanganj).

When asked about the reaction to the way Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's sculptures were demolished in Bangladesh, Sajib Wazed said, "I feel dissatisfaction with the people of Bangladesh and that they have betrayed me." I know, Awami League is the biggest party, we still have the most public support. 10/20 thousand is a very small part in a country of 17 crore people. But when I see these (vandalism) pictures, I feel deep dissatisfaction with the people of Bangladesh. Now what is happening in Bangladesh is like Pakistan.
He said, one day the people of Bangladesh will look back and consider Sheikh Hasina's 15 years as a golden era. They will regret that day, but it is too late now. The future of Bangladesh is fixed.

When asked whether Awami League will be a part of the interim government, Sajib Wazed said that they will never allow Awami League to be a part of the interim government.

My family and I grew up overseas and live there. I worked as a free consultant for digitization of Bangladesh. I have succeeded, I have taken digital connectivity to the villages of Bangladesh. Those Bangladeshi people did this to my mother, disrespected my grandfather, who is the founder of this country, it is very difficult for me to accept. I don't want to have any more relationship with the people of Bangladesh.

When Sajib Wazed briefly spoke to Sheikh Hasina for the last time in Dhaka, there was a lot of commotion. In short, his last words with Sheikh Hasina were, Mother, you have to leave the country now.

He said that his mother also talked to his sister. His sister Saima Wazed lives in India as an official of a United Nations office.

When asked how much time was given to Sheikh Hasina to leave the country, Sajib Wazed said that no time was actually given. Because angry people were marching towards Ganobhaban. So how long it would take for them to get there was all he had. However, no specific deadline has been given to him. We have to leave Bangladesh without any preparation.

Source - BBC Bangla

None of us thought that the movement would ultimately overthrow the government: victory

Dhaka Post Desk8 August 2024, 11:581.1kShares Non+non-

No one could have imagined that the quota reform movement would lead to the overthrow of the government, said former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's son and former information technology adviser Sajib Wazed Joy. 

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Besides, Sheikh Hasina was thinking about resigning a day or two ago but there was no preparation to leave the country. Joy claimed that Sheikh Hasina had as much time to leave the country as it would take for the angry people to reach the Ganabhaban. 

In an interview with the BBC's South Asia Editor Ethirajan Anbarasan, Sajeev Wazed talks about the situation at that time and various issues leading up to the fall of the government.

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Sajib Wazed said, my mother never wanted to leave Bangladesh. He had to convince us. He was planning to resign, he wanted to give a speech and hand over power according to the constitution. But the angry people announced marching towards Ganabhaban, we family members pleaded with him that they are coming for violence, they can kill, you have to leave for safety.

Read more

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Joy said my aunt (Sheikh Rehana) was with her. My mother wanted my aunt to take a helicopter to the military air base. But our mother did not want to get up. Then I told her and my aunt, she (Sheikh Hasina) must go.

He said that Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka by helicopter. From there he reached India's Agartala and later Delhi.

When asked whether Sheikh Hasina's government made a mistake in reviewing the entire situation, Sajib Wazed said that no one thought that the situation would turn in this direction. None of us thought that this violent movement would eventually lead to the overthrow of the government. We understood that some unknown group behind the violence on July 15 chanted ``Amara Razakar'' while marching in Dhaka University at midnight. Then they clashed with our supporters. The police tried hard to stop the clash. I believe that those who shouted those slogans on that day, we still don't know who they were who shouted those slogans at midnight, are responsible for creating this situation.

Our government never wanted to use force on the protestors, rather the police guarded them, there was no order to attack them. 

My family and I grew up overseas and live there. I worked as a free consultant for digitization of Bangladesh. I have succeeded, I have taken digital connectivity to the villages of Bangladesh. Those Bangladeshi people did this to my mother, disrespected my grandfather, who is the founder of this country, it is very difficult for me to accept. I don't want to have any relation with the people of BangladeshSajeeb Wazed

Answering a question from BBC why the problem which could have been solved by just issuing an executive order resulted in so many lives, Joy said, earlier our government had canceled the quota. The High Court later upheld it on the petition of the family members of the freedom fighters. Our government's legal team was also trying to meet the students' demands in court. It was already in the legal process. But in the meantime violence started. Force has been wrong, but it has been on both sides. Students died, civilians died, police died too.

When asked who will lead the Awami League now, Sajib Wazed said, the party will survive. After 1975, when most of the top leaders were in jail, the party survived. It is Adarsh ​​party, the only democratic party in the country which was formed democratically before independence. 

The other two factions were created by military rulers. The party will choose their leader. But now they are trying to eliminate our team. The activists are being attacked, they are looking for our ministers, many are hiding, many have gone abroad.

When asked whether Sajeeb has any desire to lead Wazed back home, he said, to be honest, there is no such desire. This is the third shock for my family. They should get leaders like people. Now mob rule is going on in Bangladesh.

Awami League may not be allowed to participate in the next election. Maybe BNP-Jamaat will win the election. The future of Bangladesh is actually dark.

Many people are complaining that during the time of Awami League there was a lot of repression and many people were disappeared. Even the two were recently released after eight years of disappearance.

Read more

The swearing in of the interim government is at 8pm on ThursdaySheikh Hasina's fall in the historic movement of the young generationDr. Indian Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi congratulated YunusEven today, the student-volunteers are performing the responsibility of traffic on the road

When asked about this allegation, he said, something must have gone wrong. There were many people in the government who made these mistakes. But we have always tried to fix them. A minister's son in our government, was a member of special forces but went to jail for extrajudicial killings (seven murders in Narayanganj).

When asked about the reaction to the way Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's sculptures were demolished in Bangladesh, Sajib Wazed said, "I feel dissatisfaction with the people of Bangladesh and that they have betrayed me." I know, Awami League is the biggest party, we still have the most public support. 10/20 thousand is a very small part in a country of 17 crore people. But when I see these (vandalism) pictures, I feel deep dissatisfaction with the people of Bangladesh. Now what is happening in Bangladesh is like Pakistan.

He said, one day the people of Bangladesh will look back and consider Sheikh Hasina's 15 years as a golden era. They will regret that day, but it is too late now. The future of Bangladesh is fixed.

When asked whether Awami League will be a part of the interim government, Sajib Wazed said that they will never allow Awami League to be a part of the interim government.

My family and I grew up overseas and live there. I worked as a free consultant for digitization of Bangladesh. I have succeeded, I have taken digital connectivity to the villages of Bangladesh. Those Bangladeshi people did this to my mother, disrespected my grandfather, who is the founder of this country, it is very difficult for me to accept. I don't want to have any more relationship with the people of Bangladesh.

When Sajib Wazed briefly spoke to Sheikh Hasina for the last time in Dhaka, there was a lot of commotion. In short, his last words with Sheikh Hasina were, Mother, you have to leave the country now.

He said that his mother also talked to his sister. His sister Saima Wazed lives in India as an official of a United Nations office.

When asked how much time was given to Sheikh Hasina to leave the country, Sajib Wazed said that no time was actually given. Because angry people were marching towards Ganobhaban. So how long it would take for them to get there was all he had. However, no specific deadline has been given to him. We have to leave Bangladesh without any preparation.