‘India saved my mother's life,’ says Sheikh Hasina's son amid extradition call after death sentence for Bangladesh ex-PM

SAJEEB Wazed Joy, the son of Sheikh Hasina, has dismissed the legitimacy of Dhaka's extradition request, alleging violations of judicial norms in the cases against his mother and the former Bangladesh Prime Minister.

In an interview with ANI, Joy expressed profound gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for granting her asylum in August 2024, and claimed that militants were planning to assassinate her.

“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 expressed confidence that Indian authorities would reject the request, citing the absence of proper legal procedures in Dhaka.

Hasina faces multiple charges in Bangladesh related to her 15-year tenure, but Joy insists the judicial process has been fundamentally compromised by the interim government.

Explaining the circumstances of his mother's dramatic departure, he credited India with saving her life. “India has essentially saved my mother's life. If she hadn't left Bangladesh, the militants would have planned on killing her.”

Whilst acknowledging his government's “mishandling” of the initial protests in July 2024, Joy characterised the subsequent events as an orchestrated “political coup” rather than a spontaneous popular uprising.

In claims likely to resonate with security establishments in New Delhi, Joy alleged that the interim Yunus government has released “tens of thousands of terrorists” previously convicted under Sheikh Hasina's administration.

He claimed that Lashkar-e-Taiba is now operating freely in Bangladesh, alleging links between its local branch and recent terror attacks in Delhi.

“I think Prime Minister Modi is probably very, very concerned about terrorism from Bangladesh,” he said, directly connecting the political upheaval in Dhaka to India's security concerns.

The allegations come amid already strained relations between the two neighbours over the treatment of minorities and border security.

Challenging the interim government's legitimacy, Sajeeb Wazed Joy questioned why elections have not been held if Yunus commands genuine public backing. He cited polling data showing the student movement's political party garnering just two per cent support.

“If Muhammad Yunus was popular, then why would he not have held one election and then run the country with legitimacy? ” he asked.

The interim administration has defended its extended tenure as necessary to implement reforms following what it describes as years of authoritarian rule.

However, it has yet to announce a firm timeline for elections.