Sheikh Hasina’s daughter ‘heartbroken’ to not ‘see, hug’ mother amid Bangladesh crisis

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s daughter, Saima Wazed, said she was “heartbroken” for not being able to see and hug her mother following her ouster amid a violent uprising in the country.

“Heartbroken with the loss of life in my country that I love. So heartbroken that I cannot see and hug my mother during this difficult time. I remain committed to my role as RD,” she tweeted.

Saima Wazed is the Regional Director for South East Asia at the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Sheikh Hasina resigned as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh on Monday, and subsequently fled to India, where she remains hiding in an unspecified location. Her escape was triggered by a fresh spell of student protests.

Sources told India Today TV that 77-year-old Sheikh Hasina was given only 45 minutes by the Bangladesh Army to leave the country. She fled to India with her sister, Sheikh Rehana, and her close aides in a military transport jet and landed at Hindon airbase near Delhi.

Sources added that the Awami League chief could not carry extra clothes or daily-use items, and the team that arrived in India with her was in complete distress.

The unrest, which has so far led to the deaths of more than 400 people, started as protests to end a quota system for government jobs that reserved 30 per cent for families of veterans. However, the latest spell over the last week took the shape of violent anti-government demonstrations.

Following Sheikh Hasina’s dramatic escape to India, in which she reportedly had only 45 minutes to pack her bag, get on a plane and flee along with her sister, viral pictures showed protesters ransacking the official residence of the former Prime Minister, lying on bed, and taking selfies, among others.

The violence-hit nation will get an interim government today with Nobel peace laureate Muhammad Yunus taking the oath as the chief adviser. The oath-taking ceremony will take place at 8 pm.

Yunus, who called Sheikh Hasina’s ouster the “second liberation day” after the 1971 Bangladesh independence war, is en route to Dhaka to take over his new responsibilities. He was in Paris for a medical procedure. The 84-year-old was recommended by protesting students for the top job, and a spokesperson of the Nobel laureate accepted the same.

Then, Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin dissolved Parliament on Tuesday and appointed Muhammad Yunus as head of the interim government.

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