In an interview with VOA,Bangla Service Sheikh Hasina , the former Prime Minister and former Leader of Opposition in Bangladesh said she is saddened that she has been linked to corrupt people. She added that she and her family have always lived a simple life.
Earlier this week, police filed murder charges against Sheikh Hasina and about 50 other politicians, in connection with the deaths of rival protesters during violent demonstrations in Dhaka last year.
Sheikh Hasina is visiting the United States on a private trip. She told VOA she is not afraid, and she vowed to put her life on the line to return to Bangladesh to face the allegations.
Hasina also criticized the army-backed interim government for delaying already postponed elections until 2008. But she said she was grateful that a timeframe for new elections had been announced to the public.
Sheikh Hasina served as prime minister of Bangladesh from 1996 to 2001 and is currently the chief of the opposition Awami League coalition.
Bangladesh has been ruled by a military-backed interim government ever since the country got embroiled in political upheaval in January. Elections were canceled and a state of emergency was declared in the wake of street protests calling for electoral reforms. The caretaker government soon launched an anti-corruption drive, arresting dozens of politicians.
