Exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen, a staunch critic of communalism, finds it ironic that ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has managed to escape the deadly student-led protests.
Ms Nasreen said Hasina had driven her out of Bangladesh to “appease the Islamists”, and that “the same Islamists” were part of the student movement that forced her to leave the country.
“To appease the Islamists, Hasina kicked me out of my country in 1999 when I entered Bangladesh to see my mother on her deathbed and did not allow me to enter the country again. The same Islamists were involved in the student movement that forced Hasina to leave the country today,” Ms. Nasrin said in an online post.
Ms Hasina fled to India on a military plane yesterday and is likely to head to London to seek asylum in Britain.
The writer accused him of allowing “Islamists to flourish” and those involved in corruption to flourish. She also spoke out against the military rule in her country and advocated for democracy.
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“Hasina had to resign and leave the country. She is responsible for her situation. She allowed Islamists to flourish. She allowed her people to engage in corruption. Now Bangladesh should not become like Pakistan. The military should not rule. Political parties should bring democracy and secularism,” he had said in an earlier post.
Ms Nasreen had to leave Bangladesh in 1994 because of death threats by fundamentalist organisations over her book “Lajja”. The book was banned in Bangladesh in 1993 but it became a bestseller elsewhere.
At that time, Ms Hasina’s arch rival Khaleda Zia, who is in jail, was the prime minister.
The author has been living in exile since then.
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Bangladesh witnessed the most violent protests on Sunday, in which about 100 protesters died in clashes with the police. After this, the protesters attacked the Prime Minister’s residence on Monday. Ms. Hasina had already resigned and left the country in a military plane to avoid direct confrontation.
The country’s army chief called a press conference a few hours later and announced that an interim government would be formed to run the country.
Later, Ms Hasina landed at the Hindon Air Force Base in India – about 30 kilometres from the capital Delhi. Sources told NDTV she may leave for London, where she may seek asylum. Her plane is being refuelled for the flight to London, they said.