Former President Abdul Hamid has said that many of the challenges facing the country today are the result of mistakes made over the past 16 years. “This is perhaps the punishment for our past errors,” he remarked.

Recalling his statement as Speaker of Parliament in 2012, he said, “I warned that if a government becomes autocratic, the people will not tolerate it for long.” Hamid also stated that if the now practically banned Awami League wishes to return to mainstream politics, they must rectify their past mistakes. His brother-in-law Naushad Khan added that Abdul Hamid is now leading a fully family-oriented life with no political involvement.