The violence in Bangladesh after Hasina’s ouster stirs fear within the country’s Hindu minority
Associated PressAUG 2024
Bangladesh's Ousted PM Charged With Genocide, Crimes Against Humanity
Above: Bangladesh's then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed delivers a speech during the 25th International Conference on The Future of Asia on May 30, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan. Image copyright: Tomohiro Ohsumi/Contributor/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
Hasina has tacitly confessed to being a criminal when she cowardly decided to flee — or was smuggled — to India once it was clear that her autocratic rule had come to an end. The former prime minister will have much to explain upon her possible return to Bangladesh — and she will have to pay for her crimes.
Narrative B
Agitators and terrorists have plunged Bangladesh into chaos only to put the blame on Hasina and initiate several politically motivated cases against her and other innocent top officials. This persecution is all too reminiscent of the sacrifices her family — and other martyrs — have had to make for the country.