Hasina’s son urged Army to block ‘unelected govt’ hours before PM’s resignation

Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, had called on security forces via Facebook to thwart any attempts to overthrow her government as mass protests continue. However, hours after the post, the Bangladesh Army has announced that Hasina has resigned, and an interim government will be established.
“Your duty is to keep our people safe and our country safe and to uphold the constitution,” US-based Sajeeb Wazed Joy said in a post on Facebook.
“It means don’t allow any unelected government to come in power for one minute, it is your duty.”
Joy, who is also an information and communications technology advisor to Hasina, warned progress made by Bangladesh would be threatened if she were forced out.
“Everything of our development and progress will vanish. Bangladesh would not be able to come back from there,” he said.
“I don’t want that and you also do not want that,” he added. “Myself, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, will not let that happen as long as I can.”
Sheikh Hasina, daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who played a pivotal role in Bangladesh’s independence movement, has resigned as Prime Minister, according to multiple media reports. Amidst a massive wave of protests and a defied curfew, Hasina fled Dhaka as thousands of demonstrators marched toward Shahbagh Square, demanding her resignation.
After local media captured Sheikh Hasina boarding a military helicopter with her sister, Bangladesh’s military chief Gen. Waker-uz-Zaman announced that he would consult the Bangladesh president on forming an interim government.
Gen. Waker-uz-Zaman assured the public that the military would withdraw from active involvement and committed to launching an investigation into the deadly crackdowns that have fueled widespread outrage.
“Keep faith in the military, we will investigate all the killings and punish the responsible,” he said. “I have ordered that no army and police will indulge in any kind of firing.”
“Now, the students’ duty is to stay calm and help us,” he added.
Protests that began last month over civil service job quotas have escalated into some of the most severe unrest during Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year tenure as Prime Minister. The demonstrations have evolved into broader calls for the 76-year-old leader to step down, reflecting deepening dissatisfaction with her administration.
The Bangladesh military had imposed an emergency in January 2007, following widespread unrest. They had established a caretaker government that governed Bangladesh for two years. In 2009, Sheikh Hasina had been voted to power as the Prime Minister. Monday’s resignation ended her 15-year rule of the delta nation.