A fresh political dispute has begun between Bangladesh’s interim government and India after Sajeeb Wazed claimed New Delhi saved his mother’s life during the unrest of August 2024. Wazed said India acted quickly when violence grew and helped Sheikh Hasina avoid a planned assassination attempt. The former prime minister fled to India after her government fell, and tensions have risen between Dhaka and New Delhi since then.
“India has always been a good friend. In the crisis, India has essentially saved my mother’s life. If she hadn’t left Bangladesh, the militants had planned on killing her”, he said.
“I am eternally grateful to Prime Minister Modi’s government for saving my mother’s life,” Wazed noted.
Wazed Calls Bangladesh’s Extradition Request Illegal
The caretaker government says it has asked India to extradite Hasina, but New Delhi has not replied. Wazed said he believes India will not act on the request because it lacks legal standing. He claimed the interim administration is using the legal system for political revenge.
“I think the Indian government knows very well how to handle this extradition request. I don’t think they are going to respond to such an illegal request,” Wazed said. “I have faith in Indian democracy and its belief in the rule of law.”
Warning to India About Rising Extremist Influence
Wazed accused the interim government of supporting extremist groups. He said many convicted militants were released and that some banned organisations had become active again. He warned that these developments could increase India’s security concerns.
“What should really concern India, which is propping up the Yunus regime, is Jamaat-e-Islami. They have released tens of thousands of terrorists that our government had convicted and imprisoned. Lashkar-e-Taiba is operating freely now,” he claims.
He also linked the situation to attacks in India.
“They’ve taken credit, and links have been found to their branch in Bangladesh, for the recent terror attacks in Delhi,” he said. “Prime Minister Modi is probably very concerned about terrorism from Bangladesh right now.”
Hasina Sentenced to Death by Bangladesh Tribunal
Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal-1 recently sentenced Hasina to death. The tribunal accused her of ordering violence during the July–August 2024 uprising. It claimed she used state forces to suppress protesters, which led to large-scale deaths. A UN human rights report estimated that up to 1,400 people were killed from July 15 to August 15 during the unrest.
Hasina, 78, now faces several cases connected to the uprising. She has called interim leader Muhammad Yunus a “usurper” and maintains the charges against her are fabricated. The ICT was originally formed by Hasina’s own government to try war-crime suspects from 1971. The interim regime later restructured the tribunal to include new cases.
