Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the son of Bangladesh’s ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has sharply criticised Dhaka’s extradition request for his mother, dismissing the legal cases against her and cautioning India about what he describes as a rising terrorism threat emanating from Bangladesh.
Speaking to ANI, Wazed—who has been in India since Hasina was flown out of Dhaka in August 2024—expressed deep gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for offering her asylum, claiming that militants had been preparing to assassinate her.
Wazed questioned the credibility of the legal proceedings initiated by the interim government, accusing authorities in Dhaka of violating fundamental judicial norms.
He alleged that the prosecution process was manipulated from the outset. "They terminated 17 judges before the trial, amended laws illegally without parliamentary approval, and barred her defence attorneys from court proceedings," he told ANI. "When there is no due process whatsoever, no country is going to extradite."
He voiced confidence that India would reject the extradition request, arguing that the absence of lawful procedures made Dhaka’s appeal untenable. Although Hasina faces a series of charges linked to her long tenure, Wazed insists the process has been irreparably compromised by the interim administration.
Recounting the events leading to his mother’s departure, Wazed said India played a decisive role in protecting her. "India has essentially saved my mother's life. If she hadn't left Bangladesh, the militants had planned on killing her," he claimed.
While he admitted that the government mishandled early protests in July 2024, he described what unfolded later as a coordinated political operation rather than a grassroots uprising.
Wazed’s warnings appeared aimed at India’s security leadership. He alleged that the interim Yunus government has freed “tens of thousands of terrorists” previously convicted during Hasina’s rule and claimed that Lashkar-e-Taiba is now operating with greater freedom within Bangladesh. According to him, its local network has even been linked to recent terror attacks in Delhi. "I think Prime Minister Modi is probably very, very concerned about terrorism from Bangladesh," he added.
Tensions between India and Bangladesh have already been elevated over issues surrounding minorities and border management, and Wazed’s comments add a new layer of strain. Escalating his accusations, he claimed Pakistan’s ISI supplied weapons to militants who infiltrated last year’s demonstrations, citing videos of armed individuals among protestors. "Without a doubt, these weapons had to have been supplied from somewhere in the subcontinent and the only possible source is ISI," he argued.
He also referred to comments attributed to US President Donald Trump, who allegedly said the former Biden administration spent “millions of dollars on regime change in Bangladesh” via USAID. Wazed suggested the current US government appeared more focused on countering terrorism and the rise of Islamist groups, though he stopped short of confirming any direct communication with Washington.
Painting a bleak picture of the situation under interim leader Muhammad Yunus, Wazed alleged widespread political detentions. "You've had an unelected government staying in power for over a year and a half. Everything has been done undemocratically," he said, noting that over 100 former lawmakers were among those being held. Despite the interim administration’s claims that extended rule is necessary to reform institutions after years of alleged authoritarianism, it has not committed to an election timeline.
Wazed rejected the government’s claims of popular backing, citing data showing the student movement’s political arm polling at just two per cent. "If Muhammad Yunus was popular, then why would he not have held one election and then run the country with legitimacy?" he asked.
Responding to allegations of corruption during Hasina’s tenure, Wazed conceded there were issues but insisted they were not systemic. "Corruption existed in Bangladesh, of course," he said, before pointing to Bangladesh’s improved global rankings and its economic rise from a least-developed nation to an emerging “Asian tiger.” "This level of development and economic growth would not have been possible with major corruption," he maintained.
As of now, the interim Bangladesh government has not commented on the specific claims raised by Wazed—ranging from judicial irregularities and the release of convicted extremists to the number of political detainees.
