“Awami League Mishandled the Uprising, But Did Not Order Killings”: Joy Defends Sheikh Hasina and Slams Bangladesh’s Political Crackdown

In an interview with Al Jazeera journalist Srinivasan Jain from Washington DC, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of Bangladesh Awami League President Sheikh Hasina, gave detailed opinions on the current political situation in Bangladesh, the July-August 2024 mass uprising, the role of the Awami League, the party’s ban, election boycott, and allegations of corruption.
This interview aired in the second episode of Al Jazeera’s series “Bangladesh: A Democratic Test”, where Joy clarified the party’s position on behalf of the Awami League.
The mass movement and the government’s role in July-August 2024
In the interview, Joy first said that he had repeatedly admitted online: “The Awami League mishandled the movement. Our government mishandled the movement.” When journalist Jain alleged that hundreds of unarmed protesters were killed by security forces and that it was on Sheikh Hasina’s orders, Joy insisted, “None of this was ordered by my mother. If my mother had wanted to kill the protesters, she would still be in power.” He added that the situation was very violent and some police used excessive force. The government then suspended many police officers and formed a judicial inquiry committee. Sheikh Hasina met Abu Sayeed’s family and promised an investigation and accountability.
Sheikh Hasina’s audio clip and UN report context
He said of the audio clip, “Al Jazeera and the BBC have taken the clip out of context and added some other phone recording. There is the recording—my mother’s statement, yes, repeatedly, and to me, our conversation that day was: They are marching towards the prime minister’s residence. Our special security forces and the prime minister’s guards are ready to protect him. But if that happens, hundreds of people will die. I don’t want their blood on my hands. That’s what my mother said. At that time, hundreds of police officers were killed. Hundreds of our workers were killed too. This regime actually gave impunity for killing protesters.”
Rejecting the UN report as biased, he said, “This report also includes the killings after the fall of the government (after August 5). What about the 500 people who were killed after the fall of the government? Who killed them? Why were there supporters—who killed them? Again, with respect, you are talking about the number of 1,400 people. Look, justice should be equal. One-sided justice is not possible for you. We did not give impunity to anyone. We wanted justice for everyone.
Banning the Awami League
Joy called the banning of the Awami League “undemocratic and illegal.” The questioner said, “The Awami League has also been accused of election rigging, violence and institution capture in the past.” Joy replied, “The Awami League has never banned any party. The banning of Jamaat-e-Islami was a court decision, on a third-party application. Certainly, the constitution of Jamaat was found to be in conflict with our constitution.”
Allegations of fraud in the last election
Regarding the allegations of vote rigging in the last election, Joy said, “Look, before the 2018 election, we – our polls, American opinion polls – showed that the Awami League was going to win by a huge margin. None of us wanted any irregularities. There were some people in the administration who took it upon themselves. My mother and I, on behalf of a party, were angry. We wanted a clean election because we were going to win anyway. Our polls – I conduct our polls myself for our party – we voted in 160 constituencies, right? And in those 160 constituencies, which are competitive out of 300, our minimum margin of victory was 30%. So there was no reason to resort to election rigging.”
Regarding the 2024 elections, he said, “They claim there was no rigging, the opposition boycotted.” Regarding the 2024 Election Commission, he added, “The Election Commission was nominated and elected by a committee, not our government.”
The upcoming February elections
Joy described the upcoming February 12, 2026 elections as a “staged drama” and called for a boycott. “If you see what is happening now, why are these same observers not saying anything? The main party (Awami League) has been banned from the elections. Now there is evidence of online postal ballots, hundreds of postal ballots being filled,” he said.
Awami League allegation of violence
Regarding the upcoming elections, Sajeeb Wazed Joy said, “If the elections are held without the Awami League, there could be violence because the party is being cornered.”
When Jain quoted it as a threat of violence, Joy said, “I did not threaten violence. I said that if there is repression, there will be violence. We do not want violence. What happens if someone is cornered? We do not want violence. We are not allowed to participate. What violence is happening now? I am talking about threats. If someone is cornered, they have no choice.”
Explaining the Bangladesh Awami League’s position on protests and political rights, he said, “I said if the movement is suppressed by force, there will be violence. I did not say to attack the protesters. You are playing with words now. But the Bangladesh authorities are saying that the Awami League is behind the recent killing of youth leader Sharif Osman Hadi. Is this true? Is the Awami League behind his murder?”
Torture and custodial killing of Awami League workers
Sajeeb Wazed Joy claimed, “Since the protests of last July, hundreds of our workers have been killed. 30 people have been killed in prison custody. Last week, a Hindu gentleman, a minority leader, was killed in prison. So you are saying two wrongs do not make a right. If you suppress someone by force, then do not give them any other option. Every time they go to protest, everyone is arrested. Thousands of leaders and workers are arrested and imprisoned, in this situation how can the Awami League be involved in violence? Dhaka police are blaming everything on the Awami League.”
Regarding allegations of corruption
Regarding the corruption allegations, Joy said, “The allegations against me are false. There is no illegal property. This is my only home. I applied for US citizenship earlier this year and got it. Now, if I had hidden assets, all illegal assets, how would I get US citizenship? The FBI would have investigated me. Where? It’s easy to file a complaint. They couldn’t even name a business, not even an instance where my family was involved in a corporate case.”
He added, “But in any country, it is impossible to control corruption 100%. We have tried—to bring many people to justice. But again, my mother focused on development.”
Regarding the allegations of 360 houses of former Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury (Javed), he said, “His family has owned many properties for generations.
Regarding the verdict against Sheikh Hasina
Regarding the trial and verdict against Sheikh Hasina, he said, “You are now talking about convicting your mother. Today in Bangladesh, she is being sentenced through the judicial process, right? Which was a farce. My mother was not even allowed to appoint her own lawyer. So the law was changed, which is also this system of government, so that that trial is possible without parliament. You cannot change the law.”
Regarding the future of the Awami League
Finally, Joy said that the Awami League has a future—it is the oldest and largest party in the country, with the support of 40-50% of voters.
Regarding Sheikh Hasina’s retirement, he said, “She is old. My mother is old. Anyway, this is going to be her last term. She wanted to retire. So this is not a re-entry into Bangladeshi politics. It will happen without her. Yes, Awami League is a political party. It is the oldest party, it has been going for 70 years. It will continue without her. No one lives forever.”
Regarding the mistakes of the Awami League government
Look, 17 years – did our government make mistakes? Did people in our government overreach? Yes, no. I myself was not happy with many of them. Personally I think they were people in our government who should have been held accountable who were not. Is it not possible – again, no, because look at the last year and a half. What have they done? The situation is very, very bad. The economy is collapsing. There is no law and order. Terrorists are running rampant. And there is rigging – completely rigged, farcical elections.