Sajeeb Wazed Joy launched a forceful critique of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim administration in Bangladesh, accusing it of weaponising the justice system to punish political opponents while protecting those responsible for violence during last year’s student uprising. His remarks come in the wake of the International Crimes Tribunal sentencing former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina — his mother — to death on charges of “crimes against humanity,” a verdict he described as blatantly political and legally untenable.
In an interview with India Today TV, Wazed said the tribunal’s conviction amounted to “a complete mockery of justice,” arguing that the proceedings were rushed, predetermined, and conducted under laws that were improperly amended by an “unelected and unconstitutional” administration. According to him, the amendments themselves were illegal because they were carried out without a functioning parliament, undermining the basic legislative framework of the country.
Wazed further claimed that Hasina was denied fundamental legal rights during the trial. He said she was not allowed to select her own defence team, and that the court imposed lawyers on her, which he argued violated every standard of fairness. In his view, the trial reflected the breakdown of judicial independence: “Right now, there is no rule of law in Bangladesh. The courts are simply rubber-stamping decisions.”
He reserved his sharpest criticism for what he described as “selective justice.” Wazed alleged that while Hasina and her party have been targeted, the interim government has ensured complete impunity for its own supporters. He said killings of police officers and Awami League workers during the 2024 uprising had effectively been given indemnity through a new law passed by the interim regime, shielding those responsible from prosecution. According to him, hundreds of Awami League activists were arrested and numerous policemen were murdered, yet no one from the opposing side has been held accountable.
Wazed argued that this imbalance exposed the political nature of the tribunal’s verdict. “How can there be justice for only one side?” he asked. “There is zero accountability for the killings of police personnel or our party workers. This is revenge, not justice.”
Hasina, speaking from exile in New Delhi, has called the judgment “biased and politically motivated,” delivered by what she termed a “rigged tribunal” operating under a government with no democratic mandate. The former prime minister maintains that the charges against her were fabricated to remove her permanently from politics.
Looking ahead, Wazed expressed confidence that once an elected government returns and the rule of law is restored, the verdict will be overturned on appeal due to what he called “glaring legal deficiencies” in the case. However, he warned that Bangladesh may face deepening instability in the run-up to the elections expected in February. He accused the interim administration of banning the Awami League outright and attempting to conduct a “sham election,” vowing that his party would intensify protests.
“We will not allow elections to go ahead without the Awami League’s participation,” he said. “Unless the international community intervenes, the situation may deteriorate into widespread violence.”
