After Sheikh Hasina’s fiery speech, son Joy prepares first public address from India: Why timing matters

Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of exiled former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina, will make his first public address from India via live video in Kolkata, seen as politically significant ahead of Bangladesh’s election and amid scrutiny of the interim government.

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Days after former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina broke her silence from exile with a fiery address, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy is set to make his first public address from India, a move that diplomatic and political observers see as highly significant. According to CNN-News18, Joy will address an audience in Kolkata on Monday through a live video link, marking his first direct participation in a public event outside Bangladesh.

Hasina, speaking from exile on January 23, had launched a scathing attack on Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, calling him a “murderous fascist” and describing the interim administration in Dhaka as a “puppet regime.” Her remarks triggered sharp reactions from Bangladesh’s foreign ministry, which said it was “surprised” and “shocked” that she was allowed to speak at a public event in New Delhi, terming the address “hate speech.”

Joy’s upcoming appearance, though officially framed as part of a discussion on the book Inshallah Bangladesh: The Story of an Unfinished Revolution is widely viewed as going far beyond literary commentary. The event, to be held in an auditorium in central Kolkata, is expected to draw around 300 invited participants. Sources cited by CNN-News18 say speakers from across party lines will be present, including BJP’s Dr Pankaj Roy, CPI(M)’s Saira Shah Halim and Congress leader Rohan Mitra, with former MP Swapan Dasgupta moderating the discussion.

Author Deep Haldar, one of the book’s co-authors, told CNN-News18 that the timing of Joy’s address is politically charged. “Awami League’s slogan now is ‘no boat, no vote.’ But that ship has sailed. We hear the kind of statements coming in from Jamaat Emir about women being allowed to work. There’s open flow of cash. There is a very strong push for ‘yes’ votes. We are less than two weeks from Bangladesh General election. It would be interesting to listen to him at such an important time,” Haldar said.

Joy has remained vocal through international media interactions and social media since his mother took refuge in Delhi, but this will be his first public address before an audience in India. Unlike Hasina’s earlier recorded message played at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Delhi, Joy is expected to address the gathering live via video link, sources told CNN-News18.

The development comes amid growing political churn in Bangladesh, with opposition leader Tarique Rahman consolidating his position inside the country and Joy increasingly raising his voice from abroad. Against this backdrop, critics of the Yunus-led interim setup argue that democratic processes are being hollowed out, with reports of cash flows, pressure tactics and ideological hardening gaining traction.

Joy’s Kolkata address, therefore, is being seen as more than a book discussion. Many believe it could mark the opening salvo of a renewed political battle over Bangladesh’s future, at a moment when the legitimacy and direction of the interim government under Yunus face mounting scrutiny both at home and abroad.