Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, admitted responsibility for the deaths during the July 2024 student movement. Speaking virtually from abroad at a book launch organized by the BJP-affiliated cultural group ‘Khola Hawa’ in Kolkata on Monday, Joy expressed remorse and acknowledged that innocent students and civilians were killed during the protests. He described the quota reform protesters’ demands as legitimate and called the government’s handling of the issue a failure, though he maintained his stance regarding alleged conspiracies behind the unrest.

Joy claimed that an audio recording of Sheikh Hasina proved that extremists attacked police stations, sparking the violence. He asserted that neither the government nor police initiated the clashes, blaming militant groups for the escalation. Turning to the upcoming February 12 general election, Joy labeled it one-sided, saying the exclusion of the Awami League and suppression of progressive parties made it a contest between the BNP and Jamaat. He warned that such a process was unacceptable and raised concerns about India’s border security if Jamaat gained influence.

Joy urged international intervention to prevent Jamaat from becoming a dominant political force in Bangladesh.