'Yunus cannot touch my mother': Sheikh Hasina's son Sajeeb on her death sentence

Sajeeb Wazed, son of ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has strongly criticised Muhammad Yunus after a Dhaka court sentenced his mother to death over violence linked to the 2024 student-led quota reform protests.

Speaking to news agency IANS on Thursday, Wazed asserted that the verdict would not stand and claimed the entire legal process was flawed. “They will not be able to kill her, but they will execute the verdict. First of all, they can’t get her. And once there is a rule of law, this entire process will get thrown out. Everything here is so illegal and unconstitutional and violates every legal principle that, once there is rule of law, everything will get thrown out and it will not be sustainable," he said.

He further added, “So, Yunus cannot touch my mother, and he cannot do anything to her".

Wazed also accused Yunus of damaging the country, alleging that he is turning Bangladesh into a failed state and an Islamist terrorist state.

Sheikh Hasina was sentenced to death earlier this week on charges that included ordering security forces to use lethal force against protesters during the violent unrest in July 2024. The protests, which began over quota reforms, escalated into widespread violence across the country.

Hasina, who is currently in hiding in India, was represented by a state-appointed lawyer during the trial. In a public statement, she rejected the court’s decision, describing it as “biased and politically motivated”.

“Its guilty verdict against me was a foregone conclusion," Hasina said.

Her defence lawyer, Md Amir Hossain, stated that she can challenge the verdict if she is arrested or voluntarily surrenders to authorities.

Wazed also addressed speculation surrounding Muhammad Yunus and his Nobel Prize, suggesting that international recognition should not shield him from criticism. He said it was unlikely that Yunus would lose the prestigious award.

“Nobel committees never take back their prizes. But look at Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in Myanmar. She won the Nobel Prize as well. The Peace Prize is basically given by lobbying. But she led to Rohingyas getting killed, and now Yunus is turning Bangladesh into a failed state and an Islamist terrorist state," he added.

The United Nations has reported that up to 1,400 people were killed during the unrest that led to Hasina’s ouster. According to the UN, parts of the protest movement were later taken over by Islamist groups and Pakistan-leaning anti-Hasina elements, contributing to further instability and bloodshed.

As political tensions continue to run high, the case remains a flashpoint in Bangladesh’s deepening crisis, with strong reactions from both supporters and critics of the former prime minister.