Dhaka, Jan 19, (V7N) – Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, had planned to transfer power to the then-Speaker of Parliament, Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, in early August. According to Indian news outlet The Hindu, Hasina sought a peaceful transition while the military ensured a ‘lockdown’ to stabilize the country’s political situation. The revelation was made by Mahbubul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel, the former Education Minister of the Awami League, during an exclusive interview.

Nowfel shared that the discussions were held at Ganabhaban to resolve the political unrest, highlighting concerns that if the Prime Minister resigned suddenly, law and order could collapse. To mitigate this, a lockdown strategy was devised to facilitate a smooth power transition.

In the first week of July 2024, the political situation in Dhaka drastically changed as Hasina traveled to China, and student-led protests demanding her resignation grew. Sheikh Hasina tasked Nowfel with negotiating with student leaders from the anti-discrimination movement, but as protests intensified, he went into hiding.

Nowfel speculated that the future of any interim government would largely depend on the response of the U.S., especially after Donald Trump’s inauguration. He noted that Dr. Muhammad Yunus had invested in Hillary Clinton’s campaign, and with Trump taking office, there might be reactions to the interim government.

Nowfel criticized Dr. Yunus’ leadership, claiming that the interim government failed to ensure law and order. He argued that Bangladesh's security should not be seen in isolation from the instability in other conflict-ridden regions, particularly the Middle East.

With law and order deteriorating over the past five months, Nowfel pointed out that this instability has caused growing economic and industrial uncertainty. He emphasized that the interim government had no mandate to make fundamental constitutional changes or steer the ideological course of the nation.

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