Joy: Sheikh Hasina left Bangladesh under family pressure

Sheikh Hasina, who stepped down as Bangladesh‍‍`s prime minister and left India on Monday after weeks of protests centering quota movement protest,  had left Bangladesh for her safety following pressure from her family.

Her son and former Chief Advisor Sajeeb Wajed Joy told NDTV on Monday. 

"She wanted to stay; she did not want to leave the country at all. But we kept insisting that it was not safe for her. We were concerned for her physical safety first; so we persuaded her to leave.”

Joy told NDTV‍‍`s Marya Shakil in a telephonic interview.

"I spoke with her this morning. As you can see, the situation in Bangladesh is in a chaotic situation. She’s in good spirits but deeply disappointed. It’s disheartening for her because she had a dream of transforming Bangladesh into a developed nation. Over the past 15 years, she worked tirelessly to protect it from militants and terrorism. Despite all her efforts, a vocal minority—including the opposition and militants—has now taken control," he said.

Her flight came less than seven months after she celebrated a fourth straight term in power - and fifth overall - by sweeping national elections in January.

Sheikh Hasina was flown in a military helicopter on Monday with her sister to take refuge in India.

She is expected to leave for London later, sources told NDTV, where she may seek political asylum.

Her son, however, said he did not discuss with her where she is headed now.

"We hope that there will be elections in Bangladesh but at this time with our party leaders being targeted I don‍‍`t see how free and fair elections would be possible,” said Joy.

“In a way, it is no longer the family‍‍`s responsibility. We have shown what we can do. We have shown how much we can develop Bangladesh and if the people of Bangladesh aren‍‍`t willing to stand up and they are willing to let this violent minority seize power then people get the leadership they deserve," said her son.

When asked if his mother had done the best for the country, he responded: "Absolutely. The Awami League remains the most popular party in the country. The BNP has a chance to return to power, but we remember how they governed last time—they drove the country into the ground. Militants had free rein, attacking minorities without consequence."

"I doubt army will be able to normalize things that fast. Because right now what is happening is that the opposition and the militants, they are not only vandalising, they are also hunting out our leaders, former ministers and even what I am hearing minorities. I don‍‍`t think the violence has ended," Joy added further. 

"The emotion is one of disappointment, anger, that my grandfather liberated the country and they killed him and my entire family. And now the same powers, these are the minorities that opposed the independence of Bangladesh are using this opportunity to basically deny and destroy our hard-fought struggle for freedom. And it‍‍`s very disheartening to see that the majority of Bangladesh is staying silent," he said.

Earlier on Monday, Sajeeb Wazed Joy ruled out any political comeback for his mother, saying she is "deeply disappointed" by the uprising against her leadership, despite her efforts to transform Bangladesh.