India, Nov. 17 -- Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been residing in India since fleeing Dhaka amid violent protests against her government on August 5, 2024, described leaving her homeland as deeply painful.

Speaking to NDTV, Hasina, one of Bangladesh's longest-serving leaders, said, "The events of last summer were a tragic subversion of democracy. What began as legitimate student protests was exploited by anti-democratic forces who conspired to remove the elected government through violence and intimidation, leading to chaos and needless loss of life."

Reflecting on the July-August 2024 Uprising, Hasina added, "It quickly became clear that the security situation had deteriorated so drastically that my only opti...