After Hasina’s Exile Audio, All Eyes On Joy’s First Public Address In India | Exclusive

Last Updated:February 01, 2026, 18:52 IST

This will mark Sajeeb Wazed Joy's first direct participation in a public event on foreign soil, particularly India

Sheikh Hasina and her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy.

Days after former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina broke her silence from exile with a blistering public address on January 23 — branding Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus a “murderous fascist" and dismissing the interim administration in Dhaka as a “puppet regime"— her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, is now set to make what can be described as his first public address in India on Monday.

While Joy has remained consistently active in international media through interactions and on social media platforms since Hasina has taken refuge in Delhi, this will mark his first direct participation in a public event on foreign soil, particularly India.

The speech, though virtual, is scheduled to take place in an auditorium in Central Kolkata.

Diplomatic circles see Joy’s move as more than symbolic. Officially, the event is being organised around a discussion on a well-acclaimed book ‘Inshallah Bangladesh: The Story of an unfinished revolution’ by Deep Haldar, Sahidul Hasan Khokon and Jaideep Mazumdar.

But it is perceived that the speech by Sajeeb Wazed Joy before an audience of around 300 carefully curated representatives will go far beyond literary commentary on Monday.

“Awami League’s slogan now is ‘no boat (their electoral symbol), no vote’. But that ship has sailed. We hear the kind of statements coming in from Jamaat Emir about women being allowed to work. There’s open flow of cash. There is a very strong push for ‘yes’ votes. We are less than two weeks from Bangladesh General election. It would be interesting to listen to him at such an important time," said author Deep Haldar to News18 about why Hasina’s son’s first public address is crucially timed.

Sources have told News18, speakers from across party lines will be taking part in which Sajeeb Wazed Joy will make his debut address. Apart from the authors, Dr Pankaj Roy from BJP, Saira Shah Halim from CPIM, and Rohan Mitra from Congress are scheduled to take part. Former MP Swapan Dasgupta is scheduled to moderate.

In her first public address from India, what was a recorded audio message that was played at Foreign Correspondent Club in Delhi, drew sharp reactions from Dhaka with the Bangladeshi foreign ministry saying it was “surprised" and “shocked" that Hasina was permitted to speak at a public event in New Delhi, calling it “hate speech".

This time, her son, will be addressing live and through a video link, News18 has reliably learnt.

With Tarique Rahman consolidating his political position within Bangladesh and Joy raising his voice from the US, many see the developments as the early drumbeat of a fresh political battle in an already volatile landscape.

Joy’s Kolkata address, therefore, is unlikely to remain confined to the context of a book discussion. Instead, it may very well emerge as one of the most consequential moments shaping the future trajectory of Bangladesh’s politics in the post-Hasina era.

News india After Hasina’s Exile Audio, All Eyes On Joy’s First Public Address In India | Exclusive

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