Exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen, a staunch critic of communalism, has said a big thing about ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina amid student-led protests. She has described Sheikh Hasina’s escape from the country as an irony. Nasreen said that Hasina had thrown me out of Bangladesh to “please the Islamists”, and the “same Islamists” who were part of the student movement have now forced Hasina to leave the country herself.
Taslima Nasreen had already said in a post, accusing Sheikh Hasina of “enhancing Islamists” and allowing those involved in corruption to flourish. She also spoke against the army rule in her country and advocated democracy. Taslima said that today “Hasina had to resign and leave the country. She was herself responsible for her situation. She allowed the Islamists to grow. She allowed her people to get involved in corruption. Now Bangladesh should not become like Pakistan. The army should not rule. Political parties should bring back democracy and secularism.”
Nasreen had to leave Bangladesh in 1994 after fundamentalist organizations threatened to kill her over her book “Lajja”. The 1993 book was banned in Bangladesh but it became a bestseller elsewhere. Hasina’s arch rival Khaleda Zia, who is in jail, was the prime minister at the time.
Sheikh Hasina resigns
Bangladesh witnessed the deadliest violent protests on Sunday in which about 100 protesters died in clashes with the police. As a result, protesters vandalized the Prime Minister’s residence on Monday. In a turn of events, Sheikh Hasina kept herself away from direct confrontation and resigned from her post and left the country by boarding a military plane. She left. The country’s army chief called a press conference a few hours later and announced that an interim government would be formed to run the country.
Sheikh Hasina has reached India where she landed at Hindon Air Force base in India, about 30 km from the country’s capital Delhi. According to sources, she is likely to go to London where she may seek asylum. They said that her plane was being refueled for a flight to London.
