No decision on Hasina's return to run in national election: Joy tells TIME
In the interview, Joy said his mother made mistakes during the crackdown, and not disputing the death toll, he insisted that at least half the killings were committed by “terrorists” likely armed by a “foreign intelligence agency.”
No decisions have been made regarding whether or not former prime minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina will return to contest in the national election, her son and former adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy said in an interview with US-based TIME.
Sheikh Hasina fled the country to neighbouring India after her government was ousted on 5 August by the Anti-discrimination Student Movement.
"She's quite upset and frustrated at the situation in the country that all her hard work over the last 15 years is pretty much coming undone," said Joy, who runs an IT business in the US.
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On the quota movement, Joy said it was also discussed from the start.
"We were all surprised at the quota movement," Joy told TIME in his first US media interview since his mother's toppling.
"In fact, I said in the [family] WhatsApp group, '30% quotas are too much; we should reduce it to 5%.' And someone chimed in, 'Hey, we're grandchildren of freedom fighters too.' And I jokingly replied, 'That's why I left 5%!'"
Referring to the interim government, Joy said, "If they want to run the country for a year or 18 months, actually I believe that's perfect," he said, pointing to today's "lawlessness" with "the mob, the protesters, basically on a rampage."
In the interview, Joy said his mother made mistakes during the crackdown, and not disputing the death toll, he insisted that at least half the killings were committed by "terrorists" likely armed by a "foreign intelligence agency."
Referring to calls for banning the Awami League as a party, Joy said, "How can you ban the oldest and largest political party in Bangladesh? It's not legally possible."
He further said, "I've never had political ambition…But given the current scenario, who knows? I haven't made any decision."
