In her 1st public statement since ouster, Sheikh Hasina demands ‘justice’

Dhaka: Bangladesh’s deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday demanded “justice”, saying those involved in recent “terror acts”, killings and vandalism must be investigated, identified and punished.

In her first public statement after her ouster on August 5, 76-year-old Hasina said several lives have been lost in violence in the name of agitation since July.

“I express grief at the deaths of students, teachers, police personnel, pregnant women, journalists, cultural activists, working people, leaders and workers of the Awami League and its allied organisations, pedestrians and employees of several establishments,” Hasina, who is currently in New Delhi, said in a statement in Bengali posted by her US-based son Sajeeb Wazed on his X handle.

“I sympathise with those like me who continue to live with the pain of losing near and dear ones. I demand a proper investigation to identify those involved in these killings and terror acts and appropriate punishment for them,” Hasina said, recalling the brutal assassination of her family members on August 15, 1975.