Bangladesh Crisis: Hasina's Daughter Saima Wazed's Dance Video Draws Social Media Ire

As the video posted on her X handle shows Dr Saima Wazed shaking a leg with her colleagues, people back home in Bangladesh are trolling her for having a good time when her country is facing crisis.

Bangladesh Crisis: Dr Saima Wazed, Regional Director of the World Health Organization's South-East Asia Region and daughter of ousted Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, is facing flak on social media over a video posted by her from her official trip to Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor and, officially, the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. As the video posted on her X handle (formerly Twitter) early Monday shows her shaking a leg with her colleagues at the WHO's Country Office in Timor-Leste, people back home in Bangladesh are trolling her for having a good time when her country is facing one crisis after the other.

Earlier this month, Bangladesh saw a transfer of power with PM Sheikh Hasina being forced to resign and flee the country after large-scale violent protests, and an interim government assuming power with Nobel laureate Muhammad as its chief adviser.

The protests, however, are still continuing, with one group or the other pushing the authorities to get their demands accepted. The Bangladesh National Party (BNP) even spoke out against the Yunus government, saying it "lacked roadmap" for transition to democracy. To make the matters worse, floods have ravaged parts of the country leaving people in extreme despair.

Saima's dance video amid all this led to an uproar on social media, with users slamming her for "having fun" in a different country at a time when her own country is suffering.

"Thank you to my amazing colleagues at @WHOTLS. Multi talented professionals with a zest for life...Can't wait to return," her post with the video read.

Thanking Dr Arvind Mathur, the WHO Representative to Timor-Leste, for organising the "fun trip", she said "hard days of work should always end with fun and laughter". 

Dr Saima Wazed faced harsh words from X users for the video.

"While your country faced the worst disaster in its history, you were busy enjoying yourself with your colleagues," wrote one user, with another adding: "When Rome was burning, Nero was playing flute."

Yet another X user posted: “...'tone-deaf' disease runs in her family. I guess even World Health Organization can’t cure it."

Meanwhile, Clashes Continue In Bangladesh

Clashes broke out in Dhaka between Ansar Bahini members and students near the Secretariat on Sunday night, which left nearly 40 people injured, according to media reports. Around 9 pm Sunday, over a thousand students marched towards the Secretariat where Ansar members were protesting. Both sides were reportedly armed with sticks. 

The Bangladesh Ansar Bahini is a paramilitary auxiliary force that works under the Ministry of Home Affairs and is tasked with preserving internal security and law enforcement. 

Students were angry after reports emerged that Ansar members had detained popular student leader Nahid Islam, who is now an adviser in the interim government. He is a coordinator of the Students Against Discrimination movement that was in the forefront of the protests that led to the ouster of Sheikh Hasina.

The Ansar members, on the other hand, had been protesting for the last few days in support of their demand for nationalisation of their jobs. According to a report in The Hindu, Home Affairs Adviser Lt. Gen. (retd.) Md. Jahangir Alam met Ansar members and assured them of considering the matter “based on the report of the recommendation committee”. However, they refused to withdraw their protest.

On Monday, a total of 375 Ansar members were arrested in connection with Sunday's clashes.

Meanwhile, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir Monday criticised Mohammad Yunus, saying his Sunday address to the nation lacked roadmap for transition to democracy.

According to a report in The Daily Star, Fakhrul said he hoped the interim government would engage in talks with political parties soon to decide on elections and reforms.

"We're still in a state of confusion as things remain unclear. We had anticipated that the adviser would present a roadmap. But we didn't find that roadmap in his speech," the BNP leader was quoted as saying.

Flood Situation Grim, Awami League Shares Hasina's Message

Floods have severely impacted an already trouble-torn Bangladesh, with lakhs of people suffering the nature's wrath. 

While over 10 lakh people in 11 districts have been marooned, the total number of affected people have neared the 55-lakh mark, Daily Star reported on Sunday. At least 18 people have died so far.

While authorities are learnt to have taken measures by opening shelter centres and providing refuge the affected people and cattle, the floods have caused extensive damage to the tune of an estimated 411 crore Bangladeshi Taka, the report said.

The affected districts are Brahmanbaria, Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Cumilla, Feni, Habiganj, Khagrachhari, Laxmipur, Moulvibazar, Noakhali, and Sylhet.

Meanwhile, Awami League president Sheikh Hasina has urged the people of the country to help the flood victims.

In her message shared on X, the party said Hasina called upon activists, leaders, and supporters of Awami League, besides people from different sociocultural backgrounds to "unite to support the flood victims".