In an exclusive interview with ANI, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has raised concerns about potential foreign involvement in the recent student protests in Bangladesh. While Joy admits to lacking direct evidence of US involvement, he points to the substantial support for Muhammad Yunus, a figure he describes as a “darling of the West,” as indicative of possible foreign influence.
Joy’s comments come amid a period of significant political unrest in Bangladesh. The protests, which initially began in July, were sparked by demands to reform the country’s quota system for civil service jobs, a system that reserves positions for specific groups, including descendants of 1971 war veterans. The situation escalated following the appointment of Yunus as the head of Bangladesh’s interim government on August 8, shortly after Sheikh Hasina’s resignation on August 5.
Joy expressed skepticism about the extent of foreign involvement, stating, “Was the US directly involved? I don’t know. I have no evidence. But if you look at the situation and the protests, you see the protests were incited and inflamed every step of the way.”
He further elaborated that the protests began as peaceful demonstrations against a court ruling rather than a direct challenge to the government. According to Joy, the government had previously taken steps to reduce quotas in response to earlier protests, but these changes were reversed by the courts, prompting the government to appeal. Joy argues that the initial protests were non-violent and supported by the government, which had been preparing to address the issue through legal channels.
Joy’s concerns extend to the alleged use of firearms by some protesters, which he claims could only have been supplied by foreign intelligence services. He suggested that the involvement of such entities would explain the presence of firearms and the heightened violence observed during the protests.
“The protesters started attacking the police while bearing firearms. Where did these protesters get firearms? Only a foreign intelligence service can supply firearms in a country,” Joy asserted. He implied that the West’s support for Yunus, who has long been promoted as a political figure, suggests a possible ulterior motive behind the protests.
Additionally, Joy criticised the distortion of Sheikh Hasina’s statements regarding Razakars, a term referring to collaborators with the Pakistani military during the 1971 liberation war. He claimed that misinformation about his mother’s comments contributed to the escalation of violence. “Someone took a statement from my mother, twisted it, and spread it tremendously online,” Joy said. He described how the misrepresentation led to inflammatory chants and increased tensions among the student activists.
In response to the violence, Joy noted that the government took measures to curb the unrest. The police were initially involved in trying to manage the situation, but some officers used excessive force. This led to immediate government action, including suspending the officers involved and forming a judicial commission to investigate the deaths resulting from the violence. “Our government did everything to quell the violence,” Joy emphasised, stressing that the government did not orchestrate the violence but rather responded to it.
The political climate in Bangladesh remains fluid, with significant changes occurring rapidly. Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and Yunus’s appointment as interim head reflect a dramatic shift in the country’s leadership during a turbulent period. As Bangladesh navigates these challenges, the accusations of foreign influence and the ongoing investigation into the protests continue to shape the national discourse.