This is an unofficial translation of the Bengali conversation.

Inu*: Hello yes, Assalamu Alaikum.

Hasina**: Yes, Wa Alaikum Assalam. What happened?

Inu: This is Inu speaking… no, one thing… I think your step was correct. As far as the reports coming into Bangladesh so far, it’s only in Dhaka, around the Rampura area and…

Hasina: No, Rampura is clear. There is a bit of trouble now at Shonir Akhra.

Inu: At Shonir Akhra, there are some ‘mollas’…

Hasina: Yes, I know. No, it’s not that ‘mollas’ are there; there are many madrasas there.

Inu: There are madrasas there…

Hasina: Measures are being taken… they are doing miking (announcement by mic). They are not letting the army to enter Narayanganj — we are deploying.

Inu: Oh — okay…

Hasina: No — I said there is no need for casualties; they have put up barricades, right? Okay — forces will come down from the air, and then they will apprehend them from both sides… You can send the message that the army is being dispatched… and helicopters will carry out direct bombing… RAB’s helicopter will strike from above.

Inu: Okay — sound bombs will be used from above …okay? Fine. I want to raise one point to your attention: so, the curfew is going to be there for two days or  five days, whatever the case may be— that’s fine — but we must carry out some groundwork so that, once the curfew is lifted, no marches can take place. For example, identify those who are leading the marches in Uttara, Badda, Gulshan, Jatrabari — the student wing, BNP activists, Shibir members. I mean, it is not important to arrest Rizvi or Ruhul specifically; what is important is those on the ground who led the march. In Kushtia district the SP has already made such a list. There was no major clash there — it is just one guy was shot in the leg with birdshot; he is managing it. He is managing it. He is already compiling the list of the men by looking at photos on the computer. So I told [him/them] “pick these boys up by tonight.

Hasina: Yes, sure.

Inu: So that they cannot lead processions. For that, I am speaking about Dhaka city, that your intelligence agents certainly can list who is in Uttara.

Hasina: …Not just the intelligence [agents], local leaders should also do it.

Inu: Local leaders, MP Khosru is there and Hasan Habib is there. According to my report from yesterday, Hasan Habib… but he, out of anger, left it to Khosru, saying that the MP sir should handle the confrontation…

Hasina: Khosru won’t be able to do it; Khosru is not local. Hasan is local; they have their own people.

Inu: He is not local, right. Hasan Habib did not descend/get involved, and Wakil could not handle it here either; he just plays both sides. So my point is that if you prepare the list with the help of the local leaders and take everyone into custody within tonight, then there won’t be any trouble. Also, [they were] plotting [to do something] Mohammadpur yesterday; you did very well by going there at 12 o’clock at night. Today, they would have besieged Ganabhaban. They were getting ready from there in Mohammadpur yesterday, meaning this… Therefore…

Hasina: Yes, they have been doing this for a few days.

Inu: The decision was very correct, Honorable Prime Minister.

Hasina: Thank you, thank you… We are comrades-in-arms on the battlefield.

Inu: Comrades-in-arms on the battlefield. Then, please… ask [them] to make this pickup…

Hasina: No, this has already been said. I am telling them, I am telling them.

Inu: Ask them to do that homework, and order them to arrest [them] today. I mean, if you arrest everyone, there won’t be anyone left to bring out any marches.

Hasina: Listen, wait, wait. Arrest [them] and…

Inu: My other request is that I think you can turn on the internet; it will be useful to us.

Hasina: Goodness gracious! What’s left to turn on? They have burned everything. They burned the data center, they burned that thing [also]. Now we will have to buy new wires and cables and connect them.

Inu: … The point I’m trying to make… I will go to Ekattor [TV/office] at 8 o’clock tonight and speak alone. I will say that the government has no conflict with the quota protestors. The conflict is with the saboteurs—BNP and Jamaat.

Hasina: No, that has been said. I myself have said that…

Inu: … This thing needs to be brought into the propaganda; if there is internet, we will flood the entire news [sphere] [with this narrative] using the media…

Hasina: Where will I get the internet? They have burned the internet. In this life… I won’t bring it back; if another government comes, then they will… I provided the internet; let them keep burning it. That will have to continue…

Inu: Another government, Inshallah, another government will not come to Bangladesh.

Hasina: Whatever. No, I can’t do it anymore… I am leaving now.

Inu: No, no… there is no need to leave.

Hasina: I must punish Jamaat and then leave.

Inu: …

Hasina: … Make those lists yourselves where you have people; we are making them too.

Inu: … Please you have to break the spine of Jamaat-Shibir again in Dhaka city.

Hasina: Absolutely…

Inu: … [They] have been exposed, you see. Please look into it. And whatever else you tell me, I will do, Inshallah; there is no problem.

Hasina: No, just get those lists made… Use this opportunity to smoke and track down every single Shibir [and] anyone else. 

Inu: I understand, I understand. Yes, Assalamualaikum.

Hasina: Okay, alright.

Inu: Yes, Assalamualaikum.

Hasina: Thank you, thank you!

* Inu is the leader of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD), a left leaning party that was in alliance with the Awami League. In 2024 he stood as an Awami League candidate, losing to an independent candidate.

** Sheikh Hasina is the former prime minister of Bangladesh and an accused in this case.