Pakistan's ISI has "an open hand" in Bangladesh, ex-Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina's son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, has said. Hundreds of criminals were released from prisons by the current administration and "the next set of terrorists globally" could come from Bangladesh, he claimed.
Speaking at a press conference, where Hasina also announced plans to return to Bangladesh, Joy alleged that Pakistan's intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), wielded significant influence in Bangladesh.
"Pakistan's ISI has an open hand in Bangladesh. Hundreds of militants we had arrested have been released. This is a problem for India and the world," he said on Wednesday. Joy alleged that militants who had been arrested, convicted and imprisoned during the tenure of the Awami League government were now freed.
"Hundreds of convicted terrorists that our Awami government arrested and convicted and put behind bars have been released from prison. Hizb ut-Tahrir marches openly. Al-Qaeda operatives speak at public rallies," he claimed.
{{/usCountry}}"Hundreds of convicted terrorists that our Awami government arrested and convicted and put behind bars have been released from prison. Hizb ut-Tahrir marches openly. Al-Qaeda operatives speak at public rallies," he claimed.
{{/usCountry}}‘Does not portend well for India’
Warning of regional security implications, Joy said the developments in Bangladesh "do not portend well for India and the world at large."
"In the future, the next set of terrorists globally are going to be coming from Bangladesh unless this is stopped now," he said.
Joy further alleged that Bangladesh now presented a security challenge for India similar to Pakistan. "You have Pakistan on India's western side. You have another Pakistan today on your eastern front. Foreign intelligence services, especially ISI, have an open hand," he claimed.
He also asked the Indian media to continue spotlighting developments in Bangladesh. "And where it has to begin is from the media, especially you in India. You are the world's largest democracy," he said.
Joy also said international relationships could shift rapidly. "The US has close relations with Pakistan now, but a few years ago they didn't. So this can all change very quickly," he said.
Hasina to return to Bangladesh in December
At the same press conference, Sheikh Hasina announced that she planned to return to Bangladesh in December, nearly two years after fleeing the country following the political upheaval of 2024.
Without specifying an exact date, Hasina said she was prepared to face imprisonment or even death upon her return.
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"I may be sent to prison or be killed, but fear cannot decide my duty to the people. I lost my family in 1975 and spent six years in exile. I am not worried about my own future, but about the future of Bangladesh," she said.
Hasina has been living in India since August 2024 after fleeing Bangladesh following the student-led uprising that forced her resignation and led to the fall of her Awami League government.
‘Want to return to my people’
Hasina said her return was driven by a desire to restore Bangladesh's development rather than regain political power.
"I want to return because the people of Bangladesh deserve security, development, prosperity and peace. They deserve the state they dreamed of and an economy that gives them opportunities. My return is not about power; it is about putting Bangladesh back on the right track. I want to return to stand beside the people and help improve their lives. The people are the source of all power," she said.
The former prime minister added that although she had been forced out of the country, she had "never separated" from its people.
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"For the last two years, I watched my beloved Bangladesh suffer. This is not the Bangladesh we built; this is not the Bangladesh for which 3 million people sacrificed their lives in 1971," she said.
Hasina also claimed that the July-August 2024 agitation that led to the fall of her government was “not a peaceful student movement” and alleged it was a coordinated campaign that used students as a cover for violence and regime change.
"Let me tell you the truth about July-August 2024. It was not a peaceful student movement. It was not a spontaneous student protest," she said.
Hasina said the state had a duty to protect lives and public property.
India a ‘great friend’
Hasina also described India as a "great friend" of Bangladesh. Responding to a question on whether the Indian government was aware of Hasina's plans to return, Joy said, "The news of her wanting to go back has made international headlines, so everyone in India would also know."
He also thanked the Indian government for hosting Hasina during the past two years.
"India is treating her like a head of state, treating her very well. She is staying here with full security as a head of state. Prime Minister Modi's government has shown her the utmost respect," Joy said.