Hasnat Abdullah wanted to keep Sheikh Hasina in power, Rashed claims

Rashed Khan has claimed that NCP leader Hasnat Abdullah was involved in a scuffle with other coordinators because he wanted to help Sheikh Hasina remain in power during the July movement of 2024 that pushed Bangladesh's longest-serving prime minister from office.

Rashed, who left Gono Odhikar Parishad to join the BNP, also alleged that while student leaders Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain were being beaten at the Detective Branch (DB) office during the movement, Hasnat Abdullah and Sarjis Alam were “drinking juice” by the pond.

Hasnat was one of the key coordinators of the student-led quota reform movement in July 2024, which led to the 36-day movement that ousted the Awami League regime.

Following the regime's fall, Hasina was sentenced to death in a tribunal for crimes against humanity, and the political activities of her party were banned.

Currently serving as the chief organiser of the National Citizen Party’s southern wing, Hasnat was recently elected as a lawmaker from the Cumilla-4 constituency.

On Monday, Rashed released an audio clip on his Facebook profile, asserting that the voice in the recording belongs to Hasnat.

In the leaked audio, a speaker can be heard saying: "If there was a voice constantly raised in every meeting demanding that the procession should never enter the residential halls and must not break, it was Hasnat Abdullah.”

“I maintained this regularly. I never wanted to enter into a conflict or confrontation. Our sole demand was quota reform, and I wanted to stick to that," the speaker added.

“Now, if some coordinators took decisions prematurely without informing others, why should I bear the responsibility for that, brother? I tried my best from my position. Short of a physical fistfight, everything else happened. If people don't listen, what can I do?"

Accompanying the audio clip, Rashed wrote on his post: “Hasnat Abdullah even got into a fistfight with other coordinators to keep Sheikh Hasina in power! Nahid and Asif were beaten in DB custody, while Hasnat and Sarjis drank juice by the pond!”

“You will hear in this audio why they were served juice. I would urge BNP MPs to play this audio repeatedly in parliament whenever he speaks too much.”

Rashed further claimed: "I have said previously that because of their vulnerabilities during the mass uprising, Hasnat and Sarjis later spearheaded the movement to ban the Awami League.

“But in reality, they are supporters of the Awami League. Before the advisors took their oaths, someone around 2am on Aug 7 had remarked that Hasnat and Sarjis betrayed the nation."

"You will find a glimpse of that betrayal in this audio. Asif Mahmud’s book only highlighted the positive aspects of the mass uprising, omitting the history of Hasnat and Sarjis's betrayal, Rashed continued.

“I hope we will see it in the next edition... otherwise, a fabricated history of '24 will be our only inheritance, much like '71."

Speaking to bdnews24.com on Monday night, Rashed, who ran for parliament on a BNP ticket from Jhenaidah, maintained his stance.

"I am taking full responsibility and saying that this audio is 100 percent authentic and belongs to Hasnat Abdullah. As a reporter, you bear no liability here. I am saying this with full responsibility," he said.

Attempts to contact Hasnat through the three numbers used during the student movement and afterwards were unsuccessful.

He was also unavailable on WhatsApp.