Daijiworld Media Network – Lahore

Lahore, Jun 1: Senior leaders of banned terror outfit Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), linked to 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed, have openly claimed involvement in the anti-government protests in Bangladesh that led to the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last year.

JuD leaders Saifullah Kasuri and UN-designated terrorist Muzammil Hashmi made the revelations during fiery speeches earlier this week, asserting the group’s role in what they described as "revenge for 1971".

“I was four years old when Pakistan was dismembered in 1971… On May 10, we avenged it,” Kasuri declared while addressing supporters in Allahabad, Rahim Yar Khan.

Kasuri also referred to the May 7 Indian airstrike on Muridke — the JuD and LeT headquarters — under Operation Sindoor. He revealed that one of his close aides, Mudassar, was killed in the strike, allegedly carried out in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.

"I cried a lot... I wasn’t allowed to attend his funeral," Kasuri said, though senior Pakistani officials reportedly attended the ceremony.

He added, “India made me the mastermind of the Pahalgam attack... We are preparing the next generation for jihad.”

Meanwhile, speaking in Gujranwala, Muzammil Hashmi said, “We defeated you in Bangladesh last year,” referring to the August 5 anti-government uprising that led to Sheikh Hasina's exit. Muhammad Yunus later took over as interim Chief Adviser, with Hasina reportedly fleeing to India.

Former Pakistani diplomat Hussain Haqqani slammed the speeches, saying such rhetoric from extremists damages Pakistan’s global credibility.

Separately, Bangladesh’s chief war crimes prosecutor Mohammad Tajul Islam told Prothom Alo that Hasina had been urged by military officials to step down to prevent further bloodshed. She allegedly fled Ganabhaban after an emotional plea from her son.