Sheikh Hasina claims 2024 protests weaponised to topple her

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday broke her 15-month silence, alleging the July-August 2024 protests were not a student movement but an organised campaign to topple her government. Speaking virtually from Delhi, she said 'organised groups' turned quota reform demands into a violent instrument for regime change. Her voice broke as she recalled the sacrifices of the 1971 Liberation War.

Hasina claimed her government tried dialogue but false propaganda escalated into killings, arson, and attacks on symbols of Bangladesh's founding. She accused the interim government under Muhammad Yunus of political persecution of Awami League members. India's Ministry of External Affairs distanced itself, saying it did not endorse any views expressed at the forum.

Dhaka has raised concerns over the speech, potentially straining bilateral ties. Hasina said she intends to return to Bangladesh, while Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has been invited to the upcoming BRICS summit.