Hasina spoke emotionally about Bangladesh and the changes she had witnessed since leaving the country.
“For the last two years, I watched my beloved Bangladesh suffer,” she said, adding that the country she sees today is not the Bangladesh she helped build.
She also referred to the 1971 Liberation War and the millions who, she said, sacrificed their lives for the country.
At another point, Hasina became visibly emotional and her voice broke as she spoke about being forced to leave Bangladesh.
“I speak as someone who has spent her life with the people of Bangladesh,” she said, adding that although she had been forced away from the country, she had never been separated from its people.
Bangladesh government had warned media
Hasina’s appearance came despite a warning issued by Bangladesh’s Information and Broadcasting Ministry on August 4.
The ministry urged television channels, newspapers, online news portals and social media platforms in Bangladesh not to broadcast or publish statements or press releases issued by Hasina.
It said there were legal obligations preventing such broadcasts and referred to an earlier order by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT).
According to the ministry, the ICT had instructed relevant authorities, including the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, the ICT Division and the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, to prevent the broadcast of Hasina’s statements.
The National Cyber Security Agency had also cited legal provisions and asked media organisations to refrain from carrying her statements, the ministry said.
The government said the restrictions were linked to national security and called on media organisations to act responsibly.