“I believe in you. I believe in Bangladesh. And I believe that our best days are yet to come,” former Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina declared in a powerful open letter marking the first anniversary of what she describes as the “fall of democracy” in Bangladesh.
The message, addressed to the “honest, hard-working and patriotic people of Bangladesh,” revisited the events of August 2024, when an unelected regime took control “through unconstitutional means.”
Hasina called it a “dark moment” in the nation’s history, an “affront to the will of the people,” and a “betrayal of the trust between citizens and the state.”
She vowed that while the current administration may have seized power, “they will never take away our spirit, our resolve, or our destiny.”
Hasina praised the resilience and courage of Bangladeshis, noting their determination to defend democracy, freedom, and the promise of a better future. “I am constantly inspired by your courage and your love for our country,” she said.
Despite the hardships of the past year, she argued, the struggle had strengthened the unbreakable bond between the people and the values of democracy.
“No regime can suppress the will of a nation forever,” she asserted, calling for continued action in pursuit of justice, economic opportunity, education, peace, and the rebuilding of broken institutions. She promised that the Awami League would work to reclaim the nation’s dignity and “write a new chapter, one defined not by oppression, but by hope, progress, and freedom.”
Framing the anniversary not as a time for reflection alone but as “a rallying cry for a brighter tomorrow,” Hasina said Bangladesh had overcome adversity before and would do so again — rising “stronger, more united, and more determined to build a democracy that truly serves its people.”
The letter closed with her emphatic statement of faith: “I believe in you. I believe in Bangladesh. And I believe that our best days are yet to come.”
