Zakir Hossain From Dhaka
As fresh details emerge from Dhaka’s International Crimes Tribunal, the dramatic final hours of Sheikh Hasina’s rule before her ouster in August 2024 have come into focus— a story of defiance, desperation, and ultimate flight.
Testimony from Chief Prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam has revealed that Hasina, facing mounting pressure from the army and public protests, refused to resign even when confronted by her closest aides and security chiefs. According to Islam, on the morning of August 5, as military commanders demanded her resignation, Hasina responded coldly: “So you shoot me and bury me here, in Ganabhaban.”
Yet, just hours later, after a tense stand-off and chaotic scenes across Dhaka, Hasina fled to India — reportedly convinced by her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, to leave.
The prosecutor’s revelations paint a dramatic picture of the night of August 4, when Ganabhaban became the epicentre of a political storm. In a high-stakes meeting involving ministers, military leaders, and senior Awami League figures, then-Parliament Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury was the first to suggest Hasina’s resignation. The proposal was met with fierce resistance from party loyalists.
The then-defence adviser, Major General (Retd) Tariq Ahmed Siddique, also backed the resignation call. According to Islam, Siddique even suggested using the military to fire on protesters—including the use of helicopters to break up crowds in Dhaka. His comments reportedly enraged the Air Force chief, who is said to have warned Hasina: “He [Siddique] has sunk you, and he will sink you again.”
By the early hours of August 5, the situation was spiralling. Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun admitted to Hasina that the forces were out of ammunition and could no longer control the mass protests sweeping the capital. The army brass made a final plea for her resignation, warning: “The protesters are flooding Dhaka from all sides.” In a moment described as both tragic and symbolic, Hasina’s sister, Sheikh Rehana, fell at her feet, begging her to step down. But Hasina refused — until Joy, her son, intervened and convinced her to leave. Later that day, Hasina fled to India, where she remains in self-imposed exile.
Meanwhile, the interim government in Dhaka has issued an arrest warrant for the former prime minister, charging her with crimes against humanity linked to brutal crackdowns during the 2023-24 student protests. Formal charges have already been filed for atrocities in Dhaka’s Chankharpul area.
Zakir Hossain is a freelance journalist based in Dhaka