‘Not Just Bangladesh, But A Lesson For Every Dictator’: Farooq Abdullah On Sheikh Hasina’s

National Conference President and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday commented on the political upheaval in Bangladesh, describing it as a significant lesson not just for Bangladesh but for “every dictator.”

“There is extreme interest there. Their economy is bad, their internal situation is also not good. The students started a movement which no one could control, neither their Army, nor anyone else, so this is a lesson. Not only for Bangladesh but for every dictator,” Abdullah remarked.

He further added, “There comes a time when the patience of the people is over and that is what happened.”

Abdullah’s comment comes a day after Sheikh Hasina stepped down as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh after 15 years in power. She fled the country on Monday amid escalating protests that began as student demonstrations against a controversial job quota system but evolved into a broader anti-government movement demanding her resignation.

“There (in Bangladesh) was a feeling that a voice should be raised against the oppression being done on Muslims in the world…If she (Sheikh Hasina) did not run from there, she would have been killed too,” the former J&K chief minister stated.

The student-led protests, which started last month, were initially sparked by discontent over a job quota scheme reserving 30 per cent of civil service positions for families of veterans from the 1971 liberation war.

Hasina, 76, departed Dhaka on Monday aboard a military aircraft and arrived at an airfield near Delhi later that evening. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Hasina decided to resign following a meeting with security force leaders and urgently sought permission from New Delhi to enter India. The Bangladesh authorities also requested flight clearance simultaneously.

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