New Delhi, August 5: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday said the July-August 2024 unrest that led to her removal from office was not a peaceful student movement but a coordinated campaign aimed at overthrowing her government.

Speaking during a virtual interaction organised by the Foreign Correspondents' Club of South Asia in New Delhi, Hasina expressed concern over the current state of Bangladesh, saying the country had strayed from the ideals of the 1971 Liberation War.

"For the last two years, I have watched my beloved Bangladesh suffer. This is not the Bangladesh we built, nor the Bangladesh for which three million people sacrificed their lives in 1971," she said.

Referring to the 2024 quota reform protests, Hasina maintained that her government had attempted to address the issue through dialogue, legal measures and negotiations. She alleged, however, that organised groups hijacked the movement and turned it into a campaign demanding her resignation.

"The quota reform movement was transformed into a one-point demand for my resignation. False propaganda was spread in a planned manner, genuine students were emotionally manipulated, and organised groups used the protests as a cover for violence and regime change," she said.

Hasina further alleged that the protests turned violent from July 15, 2024, involving killings, arson, attacks on public infrastructure and assaults on law enforcement personnel.

She also claimed that after her ouster, leaders and supporters of the Awami League were subjected to systematic political persecution. According to Hasina, thousands were killed, disappeared or arrested, while hundreds of thousands were implicated in criminal cases. She accused the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus of halting a judicial inquiry established by her government to investigate the violence.

Hasina further alleged that symbols linked to Bangladesh's 1971 Liberation War were vandalised and that minority communities and journalists were targeted. She described the demolition of the historic Dhanmondi 32 residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as an attempt to erase the legacy of the Liberation War.

The virtual address marked Hasina's first media interaction since she fled to India on August 5, 2024, ending her 15-year tenure as prime minister following months of anti-government protests.

Ahead of the event, India clarified that it had no role in organising the interaction. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the Government of India neither organised the event nor endorsed the views expressed during it.

The Ministry of External Affairs has also informed a Parliamentary committee that while India granted asylum to Hasina, it maintains a policy prohibiting political activities targeting another sovereign nation from Indian territory. Bangladesh has reportedly conveyed its concerns to Indian authorities regarding the matter.

Following Hasina's removal, an interim administration headed by Muhammad Yunus took charge before Bangladesh held parliamentary elections in February 2026. The polls were won by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by Tarique Rahman, while the Awami League was barred from contesting. Authorities in Dhaka have consistently rejected Hasina's allegations of political persecution.

Separately, the Indian government confirmed that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has been invited to attend the BRICS Summit, to be hosted by India in September. New Delhi clarified that the invitation is for the BRICS outreach session in his capacity as Chair of BIMSTEC.