New Delhi: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday claimed that there was a conspiracy to kill her and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana. Hasina posted an audio speech on the Facebook page of her Bangladesh Awami League party on Friday night. In the audio message, the former Bangladesh PM said that she and her sister "escaped death by 20-25 minutes".

In August last year, students' agitation in Bangladesh snowballed into an anti-government protest leading to the ousting of Hasina. Hasina recalled that there were conspiracies to kill her at various times.

"I just feel that surviving the killings on August 21, or surviving the huge bomb in Kotalipara, surviving on this time August 5, 2024, there must be a will of Allah, a hand of Allah", she said. "Otherwise, I'm not going to survive this time!" she added.

"You later saw how they planned to kill me", Hasina said. "However, it seems to be a mercy of Allah that I am still alive because Allah wants me to do something more", she said. "Although I am suffering, I am without my country, without my home, everything has been burned", she said in an emotionally tearful voice.

In the past also, Hasina escaped assassination attempts. The 2004 Dhaka grenade attack took place at an anti-terrorism rally organised by Awami League on Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21, 2004. The attack left 24 dead and more than 500 injured. The attack was carried out at 5:22 pm after Sheikh Hasina, the then leader of the opposition had finished her address. Around 20,0000 people were present at the rally. According to reports, Hasina also sustained some injuries in the attack.

Hasina, in her audio speech, also referred to the Kotalipara bomb plot to kill her. The 76kg bomb was recovered on July 21, 2000, and two days later, the 40 kg bomb was recovered at Sheikh Lutfor Rahman Ideal College in Kotalipara, where Awami League President and the then leader of the opposition Sheikh Hasina was supposed to address the rally on July 22, 2000.

Hasian fled Bangladesh to India in August last year and is staying in the country. Over 600 people were killed in the students' protests. An interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was then formed.

(With inputs from ANI)