Bangladesh’s deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has accused the country’s Chief Adviser, Muhammad Yunus, of sponsoring extremist elements and has called for his departure ahead of the forthcoming national elections. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Sri Lanka Guardian from an undisclosed location in India, where she is currently staying, Hasina made the remarks to our New Delhi correspondent, Ayanjit Sen.
Hasina warned that the situation unfolding in Bangladesh goes far beyond a routine political dispute. She said the country is facing not only a deep political crisis but also a growing humanitarian catastrophe, as insecurity, fear and instability increasingly affect ordinary citizens.
Bangladesh’s political history has been shaped by intense rivalry, cycles of confrontation and frequent crises since its independence in 1971. Power has largely alternated between competing political camps, particularly those aligned with Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Elections have often been contentious, with caretaker or interim arrangements repeatedly introduced amid accusations of bias, leaving democratic institutions under sustained pressure.
The full exclusive interview with the former prime minister of Bangladesh, in which she expands on her allegations and concerns for the country’s future, will be published in Sri Lanka Guardian’s tomorrow edition.
