Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has accused Muhammad Yunus, the head of the interim government, of masterminding mass killings and orchestrating attacks on religious minorities in the country. Addressing an Awami League event in New York virtually, Hasina alleged that Yunus, along with student coordinators, had planned a series of violent incidents targeting Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, and their places of worship, including temples, churches, and Iskcon centers.
“Today, I am accused of mass killings, but it is Muhammad Yunus who has indulged in mass killings through meticulous planning,” said Hasina, who fled Bangladesh in August following the fall of her government amidst violent protests. She further claimed that Tarique Rahman, a BNP leader and son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, supported the unrest from London, saying, “If the deaths continue, the government won’t last.”
Referring to the attacks on minorities, Hasina decried the targeting of religious groups and government institutions, adding that police, teachers, and Hindu monks were among those under attack. The violence, attributed to radical Islamist groups, has fueled concerns about the safety of minorities in Bangladesh.
Hasina also alleged that she was the target of an assassination plot reminiscent of the killing of her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in 1975. Recalling the moments before her escape, she revealed that an armed mob had surrounded Gana Bhavan, intending to kill her.
“I told my security not to open fire. I did not want a massacre,” Hasina said, explaining her decision to leave the country. “If I had stayed and resisted, many lives would have been lost.”
Hasina fled to India on August 5 as Yunus’s interim government assumed power, with her departure marking a dramatic turn in Bangladesh’s political crisis.