Sheikh Hasina's son rules out her political comeback, says former PM is 'deeply disappointed' at uprising

Dhaka: Sheikh Hasina's son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, has ruled out any political comeback for his mother, saying she is "deeply disappointed" by the uprising against her leadership, despite her efforts to transform Bangladesh.

In an interview with the BBC World Service's Newshour program, Joy, who served as an official adviser to the former prime minister until Monday, said Hasina had been contemplating resignation since Sunday and had left Bangladesh for her own safety at the insistence of her family.

“(Hasina was) so disappointed that after all her hard work, for a minority to rise up against her,” he said.

“She has turned Bangladesh around. When she took over power Bangladesh was considered a failing state. It was a poor country. Until today it was considered one of the rising tigers of Asia. She’s very disappointed,” Joy said, defending his mother’s record in office.

He also rejected accusations that Hasina’s government had used excessive force in dealing with protests.

“You’ve had policemen beaten to death – 13 just yesterday. So, what do you expect the police to do when mobs are beating people to death?”