Sheikh Hasina calls for uprising against Yunus-led regime

New Delhi: Bangladesh's deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday called on the people of the country to overthrow the Muhammad Yunus-led regime, saying free and fair elections will not be possible if it remains in power.

In her first public address to a gathering in India since fleeing Dhaka 17 months ago, the Awami League leader also said Bangladesh should urge the United Nations to conduct a "truly impartial investigation" into the events of the past year and urged the people to rise up unitedly to "restore" the constitution and protect the religious minorities.

Hasina's message in a pre-recorded audio clip was played out at an event in New Delhi, and it came a day after campaigning for the February 12 parliamentary elections began in Bangladesh. The Awami League party has been barred from contesting the polls. In her remarks, Hasina launched a no-holds-barred attack on Yunus as she accused him of running an "illegal" regime and alleged that the country is now "ravaged by the monstrous onslaught of extremist communal forces and foreign perpetrators."