New Delhi, Aug. 5 -- Bangladesh's former premier, Sheikh Hasina, has said in a statement marking the first anniversary of the fall of her government that she never resigned, and urged members of her Awami League party to continue their struggle for justice, peace, and religious harmony. The statement, issued on Hasina's behalf from London, comes when Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has begun her trial in absentia for alleged crimes against humanity related to the suppression of student-led protests that led to the ouster of her regime. Hasina has lived in self-exile in India since she fled Dhaka on August 5 last year. "Despite claims to the contrary, I never resigned from my duties as your Prime Minister. I believe in you. I believe in Bangladesh. And I believe that our best days are yet to come," Hasina said in what she described as an "open letter to the honest, hard-working and patriotic people of Bangladesh", marking a year since "the fall of democracy". Speculation has swirled in Bangladesh's political circles about Hasina's resignation since she left her official residence in Dhaka amid chaos due to the widespread protests spearheaded by student groups on August 5, 2024. Bangladeshi authorities and the army chief said she had resigned, but no written resignation letter was ever made public. Hasina also signalled her intention for the Awami League, whose activities were banned in May by the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, to continue its campaign in Bangladesh. "Let this anniversary not be a day of retrospection, but a rallying cry for a brighter tomorrow. Bangladesh has overcome adversity before, and we will rise again, stronger, more united, and more determined to build a democracy that truly serves its people," she said. Unlike many of her recent utterances, Hasina didn't directly refer to Yunus or the interim government in the statement. She said Bangladesh has witnessed "daily acts of violence, assaults on the most vulnerable people in our society and mindless destruction of our country's core infrastructure" over the past year. "Few have been spared the chaotic repercussions that have followed last summer's events, from the highest levels of the justice system to ordinary teachers and members of the armed forces, many of whom have been subjected to arbitrary persecution, with no access to justice," she said. On Sunday, the chief prosecutor appointed by the interim government, Tajul Islam, described Hasina as the "nucleus of all crimes" in his opening statement and sought the maximum penalty for her. Hasina is facing several charges, the major one being the killing and torture of people involved in last year's protests. "We have endured hardship, but in that hardship, we have found unity and purpose," Hasina said. "Power belongs to the people, and no regime can suppress the will of a nation forever. While our struggle is not over, our cause is just." She added, "We must continue to stand for justice, for economic opportunity, for education, for peace, for religious harmony and for a nation where no one lives in fear.Together, we will reclaim the institutions that were unlawfully seized." India has not responded to the Bangladesh caretaker administration's request last year for Hasina's extradition, and officials have said Dhaka has not completed formalities linked to the request. Bilateral relations fell to an all-time low after the interim set-up led by Yunus assumed office, and the two sides have sparred repeatedly over issues such as Dhaka's handling of the repression of Bangladeshi minorities....