Escaped death by 20-25 minutes: Sheikh Hasina alleges opposition wanted to kill her

Hasina said she and her sister Rehana escaped death in an audio message posted on the Facebook page of Awami League.

"A conspiracy was hatched to assassinate me and my sister. We escaped death by 20-25 minutes," said the ousted PM.

The 76-year-old's government in Bangladesh collapsed last year following massive students' protests over quota. The government was toppled after the protests and clashes that claimed at least 600 lives.

Hasina fled to her friendly country India to save her life.

The former PM also reflected on several incidents where she escaped death including on the occasion of August 21, 2004 grenade attack that had targeted Hasina during an anti-terrorism rally in Bangladesh capital Dhaka.

An interim government, under the leadership of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, took charge of Bangladesh, following her escape from the South Asian country that witnessed a politically tumultuous 2024.

The Yunus-led government last year revoked the deposed Prime Minister’s passport along with that of 97 other individuals for their alleged involvement in the July killings and enforced disappearances.

The Bangladesh Foreign Ministry said it had no information on whether ousted former Hasina has been granted Indian citizenship.

"We do not have any information on whether former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has taken Indian citizenship," ministry’s spokesperson Mohammad Rafiqul Alam was quoted as saying by Prothom Alo.

He said the current status of Hasina is under the jurisdiction of the Indian government.