Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, spoke virtually on 5 August to the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in New Delhi from Maryland in the United States. He questioned differences in reported death tolls from the July-August 2024 unrest, noting the UN figure of about 1,400 deaths against the government’s count of roughly 800. He asked where the extra 600 names originated and stated that his party had written to the UN without receiving any names. Wazed added that the UN count covered events only until 15 August, while violence continued afterward. He also criticized an indemnity ordinance introduced under the interim administration of Muhammad Yunus and later ratified into law by the BNP government. The measure granted immunity to protesters for killings of civilians, police, and Awami League members during the unrest. Wazed warned that Bangladesh could become another Pakistan, creating a security challenge along India’s eastern border. He claimed foreign intelligence agencies, including Pakistan’s ISI, were active inside the country, that convicted militants had been released, and that groups such as Hizb ut-Tahrir were holding public marches while individuals linked to Al-Qaeda had addressed rallies.
