Hasina Accuses Organized Groups of Turning Student Demands into Violence

Hasina recounted that after July 15 the nature of the protests shifted dramatically, with killings, arson, assaults and looting becoming commonplace. Government buildings and state property were targeted and damaged. She argued that the violence was not a natural escalation but the result of coordinated groups using the student agenda as a political weapon. The former prime minister also noted that even after the BNP came to power through a disputed election, the situation did not improve, leaving Bangladesh mired in fear, terror, economic hardship and deep insecurity.