Even as the national elections in Bangladesh are just weeks away, the country's ousted prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, called for the ouster of the interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus and restoration of democracy.
In an audio message that was played at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia in New Delhi, she said the nation must rise united and galvanized by the spirit of the Liberation War.
"To overthrow the foreign-serving puppet regime of this national enemy at any cost, the brave sons and daughters of Bangladesh must defend and restore the Constitution written in the blood of martyrs, reclaim our independence, safeguard our sovereignty, and revive our democracy," she said.
She urged the democratic, progressive, and non-communal forces to take a "solemn oath to build a humane and welfare-oriented democratic state and to confront with early resolve the treacherous designs of the murderous fascist and his collaborator."
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She said her political party, the Awami League, has been the defender of Bangladesh’s proud traditions of political and religious pluralism, and the committed upholder of our laws and Constitution and added, "At this darkest time for our countrymen and women, we reaffirm our determination to help you restore the thriving homeland that was snatched away from you."
She called Yunus a murderous fascist, a usurer, a money launderer, a plunderer, and a corrupt, power-hungry traitor, and claimed that he bled Bangladesh dry.
Hasina asserted that she is "the people's representative directly elected" and added that from the day she was ousted, "the nation has been plunged into an age of terror, merciless, relentless, and suffocating. Democracy is now in exile."
She said, “The Awami League calls for the following actions to help unify Bangladesh and banish the divisive actions of the past twelve months. We urge Muhammad Yunus to stop ignoring his own people and do what needs to be done in order to heal our country by following five crucial steps we believe will lead to a better and stronger Bangladesh."
"First, restore democracy by removing the illegal Yunus administration. Second, put an end to the daily acts of violence we are seeing on our streets. Third, deliver an ironclad guarantee ensuring the safety of religious minority groups, women and girls, and the most vulnerable in our society. Fourth, end politically motivated acts of lawfare used to intimidate, silence, and jail journalists and members of the Bangladesh Awami League and opposition political parties. Fifth, invite the United Nations to conduct a new and truly impartial investigation into the events of the past year..."