From Exile, Hasina Accuses Yunus Interim Government of Enabling Extremist Violence and Barring Awami League

Overview

• In new Jan. 7 interviews from India, Sheikh Hasina says law, order and secular values have collapsed under the administration led by Muhammad Yunus.
• She alleges thousands of attacks on religious minorities since August 2024 and cites the killing of Hindu youth Dipu Das as emblematic of unchecked fanaticism.
• Hasina says the Awami League has been excluded from the Feb. 12 election, arguing that any vote without her party lacks legitimacy.
• She claims Yunus halted the Judicial Inquiry Committee she formed in July 2024 to probe the unrest and raises the possibility of foreign mercenaries having stirred early violence.
• Hasina accuses the interim leadership of empowering Islamist extremists, including Hizb-ut Tahrir, and of stoking anti-India sentiment, while India has voiced grave concern over minority attacks and demanded protection for its missions.