Sheikh Hasina fled to India on Monday after weeks of deadly protests forced her to step down. Her Awami League party is not part of the interim government formed after a student-led uprising.
NEW DELHI: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will return to her country when the new caretaker government decides to hold elections, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy said. However, it is still being determined if she will contest.
Hasina fled to India after violent protests led to her resignation. On Thursday, a caretaker government led by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus was sworn in to oversee the elections.
In the Times of India, Joy, who lives in the US, said, “For now, she (Hasina) is in India. She will return to Bangladesh once the interim government decides to hold an election.”
Joy did not confirm if Hasina, 76, will contest in the elections. “My mother planned to retire from politics after this term,” he said. “I never had political ambitions and was settled in the US. But the recent events in Bangladesh showed a leadership gap. I had to get involved for the party’s sake, and now I am leading it.”
Hasina’s Awami League party is not included in the interim government following a student-led uprising. The protests and subsequent violence resulted in about 300 deaths and thousands of injuries, leading to Hasina’s departure.
She is currently in a safe house in New Delhi. Indian media reports suggest she may seek asylum in Britain, though the British Home Office has not commented.
India’s foreign minister mentioned discussing Bangladesh with his British counterpart on Thursday but did not provide details.
