Ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina has refused to apologise for the deaths of more than 1,400 people during the July Uprising of 2024, dismissing charges of crimes against humanity as “politically motivated” and accusing Bangladesh’s interim government of “disenfranchising millions” ahead of the upcoming national election.
In a series of interviews with Reuters, AFP, and the UK Independent published earlier today, the 78-year-old former leader appeared defiant in her exile in New Delhi. Hasina denied ordering security forces to open fire on protesters and called the ongoing trial against her a “kangaroo process” designed to silence the Awami League.
“The charge that I personally directed security forces to open fire on crowds is bogus,” Hasina told AFP, though she admitted that “mistakes were certainly made within the chain of command.”
The International Crimes Tribunal is expected to announce the verdict date on November 13, where prosecutors have sought the death penalty for Hasina, citing “command responsibility” for the July–August crackdown that left thousands injured. Human rights lawyers and interim government officials have described her as “the nucleus around whom all the crimes were committed.”
Hasina, however, claimed the tribunal was politically compromised and denied having adequate time to prepare her defence. “They’ve been brought by kangaroo courts, with guilty verdicts a foregone conclusion,” she told Reuters, adding that she “will neither be surprised nor intimidated” if sentenced to death.
The former premier’s remarks also addressed her refusal to issue an apology. Speaking to The Independent, Hasina said she “mourns every life lost” but would not accept blame for the violence, arguing that “the unrest was manipulated by political rivals to topple her government.”
“I mourn the lives we lost, but I reject the false allegation that I ordered police to shoot demonstrators,” she said.
Her statement follows earlier reports by The Daily Star which revealed a leaked phone recording from July 18, 2024, where Hasina allegedly instructed former Dhaka South Mayor Fazle Noor Taposh to “use lethal weapons” against protesters. Hasina told AFP the recording was “taken out of context.”
From exile, Hasina also criticised the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus for banning the Awami League from contesting elections, calling the move “a dangerous precedent” that “robs the people of their voice.”
“Elections without the participation of all major parties, including the Awami League, cannot be credible,” she said.
Analysts note that Hasina herself had overseen similarly controversial elections in 2014 and 2018, held without major opposition parties’ participation. The irony was not lost on observers, who say her criticism of the interim administration mirrors the grievances once directed at her own regime.
Hasina’s ouster in August 2024, following mass protests and the storming of her official residence, triggered widespread reprisals against Awami League supporters. Since then, she has lived in self-imposed exile in New Delhi, where she told The Independent she continues to live “quietly and freely,” often walking in Lodhi Gardens but remaining cautious due to her family’s tragic history.
“For Bangladesh to achieve the future we all want, there must be a return to constitutional rule and political stability,” she said. “No single person or family defines our country’s future.”
Hasina confirmed she has “no intention of seeking asylum beyond India,” adding that her focus now is “the welfare and stability of Bangladesh” while her party pursues “legal and diplomatic avenues” to re-enter the political process.
