We'll bring Hasina to justice, otherwise people won’t forgive us: CA Yunus
Key figures from the ousted Hasina regime would be pursued and brought back to Bangladesh to face legal consequences, he tells Dubai-based daily The National
Chief Adviser of the interim government Prof Muhammad Yunus has vowed to bring ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina to justice, asserting that the people will not forgive his administration if they fail to do so.
"We'll bring her [Hasina] to justice. It has to happen, otherwise people will not forgive us," Yunus said in an interview with The National, a UAE state-owned English daily, on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit in Dubai.
Key figures from the ousted Hasina regime would also be pursued and brought back to Bangladesh to face legal consequences, he said.
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Yunus assured that the interim government has gathered substantial evidence against the ousted Awami League government, including documentation from the United Nations High Commissioner's Report on Human Rights.
"This is a testimonial to everything they have done. The UN has documented this and we have stacks of evidence of what she and her government, and her immediate supporters, have done to the country," said the chief adviser.
"We have sent notice to India that Sheikh Hasina should be repatriated," he added.
Hasina fled to India right before protesters stormed her official residence on 5 August 2024. She had ruled the country for 15 years under a one-party system before a mass uprising led by students toppled her government last year.
More than 1,000 people were killed and thousands of people injured during the protests in July and August of last year.
A wonderful gesture from UAE
Protests had spread among Bangladeshi communities worldwide, including in the UAE, where 53 demonstrators were arrested and jailed at the peak of the unrest. They were later released following a personal appeal from Yunus to UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
"Our relationship with the UAE is fantastic," Yunus told The National.
"I explained to the president of the UAE why they did it. It's not because they are doing something which is not desirable; they were simply expressing their enthusiasm and support for the things happening in Bangladesh," he said.
"I hoped he could forgive them and let them come out of jail, and I was very happy that he immediately did that. It was a wonderful gesture, and the whole of Bangladesh celebrated that," he added.
"Our relationship is very good because we have 1.2 million Bangladeshis working here [in the UAE]. It's very important for us," said the chief adviser.
Domestic reforms underway
Yunus said the interim government is focused on domestic reforms to build a prosperous and secure nation with a democratically elected government.
Six commissions have been established to reform the judiciary, electoral system, police, public administration, and the Anti-Corruption Commission.
"Our immediate target is to restore law and order as soon as possible, and fix the economy so it is functioning again, along with the banking system," he told The National.
A charter, developed through a consensus-building commission, is expected to lead to a transparent election in December, marking the first credible election in 16 years.
"We will be happy to have a decent election for the first time in 16 years – a reliable, visible, and transparent election. People will celebrate and our job will be done," Yunus said, adding that he would be pleased to step aside when his task is complete.
"When my job is done, I will hand it over to the elected government," he said.
