Sajeeb Wajed expresses gratitude to Modi government while questioning legitimacy of Bangladesh tribunal that convicted his mother
Dhaka/New Delhi, November 19, 2025
Bangladesh’s ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was sentenced to death Monday by the International Crimes Tribunal on charges of crimes against humanity, a verdict her son has denounced as politically motivated while praising India for providing his mother sanctuary.
Sajeeb Wajed, who lives in Virginia, USA, expressed profound gratitude to the Indian government in statements to international media. “India has always been a good friend,” he said. “India saved my mother’s life in times of crisis. If she had not left Bangladesh, militants would have planned to kill her. Therefore, I will always be grateful to Prime Minister Modi’s government for saving my mother’s life.”
The Verdict
The tribunal convicted Hasina, 78, and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan in absentia for their roles in the deadly crackdown on student-led protests that erupted in July 2024. Both received death sentences, while former police chief Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who turned state witness, was sentenced to five years in prison.
The court heard testimony that Hasina gave direct orders to use lethal force against demonstrators who initially protested the reinstatement of a controversial job quota system. The protests quickly escalated into a broader uprising against her government, which had ruled Bangladesh for 15 years.
According to a United Nations investigation, as many as 1,400 people may have been killed during the crackdown between July 15 and August 5, 2024, with thousands more injured. The UN report found that the vast majority of deaths resulted from security forces shooting protesters, with approximately 12 to 13 percent of the victims being children.
Questions of Due Process
Wajed sharply criticized the legal proceedings, raising concerns about their legitimacy and fairness. “Extradition requires the judicial process to be followed,” he told Reuters. “Bangladesh has an unelected, unconstitutional, and illegal government. Laws were amended to convict my mother and expedite her trial. This means these laws were amended illegally.“
He further alleged that his mother was denied basic legal protections. “My mother wasn’t even allowed to appoint a defence lawyer,” he said. “Before the trial, 17 judges of the court were dismissed, and new judges were appointed, some of whom had no experience on the bench and were politically connected. Therefore, there was no due process.“
These concerns have been echoed by international human rights organizations. Amnesty International Secretary General Agnès Callamard stated that while those responsible for violations during the 2024 protests must face justice, “this trial and sentence is neither fair nor just.” The organization noted that the unprecedented speed of the trial and inadequate time for defence preparation raised significant fair trial concerns.
Hasina herself, through a statement, dismissed the proceedings as conducted by a “rigged” tribunal under “an unelected government with no democratic mandate.”
India’s Dilemma
Hasina has been living in exile in India since August 5, 2024, when she fled Bangladesh by helicopter as massive crowds surrounded her official residence. Bangladesh has formally requested her extradition, but legal experts consider it highly unlikely that India will comply.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has maintained diplomatic silence on the extradition question, though India acknowledged the verdict through official channels. The situation places New Delhi in a delicate position, balancing its long-standing relationship with Hasina’s Awami League party against relations with Bangladesh’s new interim government.
Targeting the Interim Government
Wajed launched a sharp attack on the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, questioning its democratic legitimacy and popular support. “If Muhammad Yunus were popular, why wouldn’t he hold elections and then run the country legitimately?” he argued. “He has been in power for a year and a half without holding elections. In fact, he has no public support at all.”
He pointed to electoral data showing that the National Citizens Party, the political party formed by student protest leaders, has historically won only about 2 percent of votes in Bangladesh elections. “Yunus and the student party’s popularity is almost negligible,” he claimed. “That’s why they have remained in power without elections.“
The interim government has faced mounting pressure over the election timeline. In August 2025, Yunus announced elections would be held by February 2026, before Ramadan. However, political consensus on the exact date remains elusive, with Bangladesh’s main political parties divided on the timing and preconditions for polls.
Shifting US Policy
Wajed suggested that American policy toward Bangladesh has undergone significant change with the new administration. “The only minor issue was that the US was the only country to issue a negative statement on our 2024 elections,” he said, referring to the January election that saw Hasina win a fourth consecutive term in voting boycotted by the opposition.
“Now, there’s a completely new government in the US,” he continued. “The situation is completely different. We’ve seen a very clear shift in approach. President Trump himself announced at a press conference earlier this year that the previous administration had spent millions of dollars on regime change in Bangladesh through USAID. He was referring to the protests that occurred last year. The US’s attitude has definitely changed, and they are far more concerned about the threat of terrorism and the rise of Islamism in Bangladesh than the previous administration.”
Foreign Relations and China
Addressing his mother’s foreign policy approach, Wajed emphasized that the Awami League government maintained balanced relations with all major powers. “Our government’s policy has been to maintain friendly relations with all countries,” he said. “We maintained trade relations with China, India, and the United States.“
He contrasted this with the current government’s approach: “The Yunus government is trying to get closer to China. He has made several state visits to China. Even our opposition party, the BNP, is engaging directly with China. For us, the Belt and Road Initiative was simply an economic initiative to facilitate transportation.”
The Path Forward
Wajed warned of continued political instability, stating that Awami League supporters would prevent elections from going ahead if the party’s ban is not lifted. “We will do whatever it takes,” he told Reuters, signalling that the party intends to actively challenge the interim government’s authority.
The interim government has announced plans to implement comprehensive reforms before elections, including establishing a new constitution through a constituent assembly. However, it faces numerous challenges including a struggling economy, ongoing security concerns, and criticism from human rights groups over continued reports of extrajudicial killings and mob violence.
As Bangladesh approaches what many hope will be its first free and fair election in years, the death sentence against Hasina has deepened political divisions in a country still recovering from one of the bloodiest periods in its post-independence history. With Hasina safely in India and her son vowing continued resistance, the path to democratic transition remains uncertain.
The extradition request, trial proceedings, and death sentence mark a dramatic turn in Bangladesh’s turbulent political landscape, raising fundamental questions about justice, democratic legitimacy, and the future of a nation seeking to emerge from decades of authoritarian rule.
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