Sheikh Hasina accuses Yunus of genocide

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Ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has mounted a stinging attack on the country's interim leader Muhammad Yunus over alleged persecution of minorities.

In a virtual address at an event in New York, Hasina accused Yunus of perpetrating "genocide" and failing to protect minorities including Hindus. She also claimed that there were plans to assassinate her and her sister Sheikh Rehana just like their father Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

"The armed protestors were directed towards Ganabhaban. If the security guards opened fire, many lives would have been lost. It was a matter of 25-30 minutes, and I was forced to leave. I told them [guards] not to fire no matter what happened," she said referring to the storming of her official residence in Dhaka on August 5.

"Today, I am being accused of genocide. In reality, Yunus has been involved in genocide in a meticulously designed manner. The masterminds -- the student coordinators and Yunus -- are behind this genocide," she said at the event on Sunday.

Hasina said the current ruling dispensation in Dhaka failed to protect the minorities.