'My Mother Didn't Want...': Sheikh Hasina's Son Reveals Why She Stepped Down As Bangladesh PM

Sajeeb Wazed, the son of ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on Tuesday said that his mother resigned to prevent a “massacre of students” amid escalating political tensions ignited by student protests against a controversial job quota.

“She did not want a massacre of students, and that is why she decided on her own to step down,” Wazed told CNN-News18 in an exclusive interview.

The student-led protests, which began last month, were initially driven by discontent over a job quota scheme that reserved 30 per cent of civil service positions for families of veterans from the 1971 liberation war. The protests quickly evolved into a broader anti-government movement demanding Hasina’s resignation.

Wazed, who is also a businessman and politician, addressed the issue of police brutality against protesting students, stating that the Hasina-led government had suspended officers involved in the violence. “No matter what we did, their demands kept escalating,” he stated.

“Once all their demands were met, including calls for justice, they escalated to demanding a resignation. At that point, my mother wanted to avoid a massacre of students,” he asserted.

He further stated that accusations of his mother, Hasina, being an autocrat are “completely untrue”.

“Our government wasn’t cracking down on freedom of speech or the opposition. We were addressing violent opposition,” he said.

Wazed’s comment comes a day after Hasina resigned as Prime Minister of Bangladesh and fled the country amid the ongoing unrest.

Confirming that the former Bangladesh Prime Minister is in the national capital, Wazed conveyed Hasina’s disappointment with the situation. “I spoke to my mother yesterday. She is in Delhi and in good spirits, though she is very disappointed with the current situation,” he said.

He further noted that, “My family has done enough for this country. We’ve faced this situation twice before, this is the third time. If the people of Bangladesh are this ungrateful, then they get the leadership they deserve.”

Hasina, 76, reportedly flew to India in a military aircraft and landed at an airfield near New Delhi following her resignation.

She had requested safe passage to India, as informed by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar earlier today.

“At very short notice, she requested approval to come for the moment to India. We simultaneously received a request for flight clearance from Bangladesh authorities. She arrived yesterday evening in Delhi,” Jaishankar stated.

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