Sheikh Hasina Denounces Upcoming Bangladesh Polls From Her Exile In India

From her current exile in India, Bangladesh's former leader Sheikh Hasina has issued a scathing critique of the nation's impending general election, a condemnation that threatens to further exacerbate political tensions just weeks before the pivotal vote. Her party, the Awami League, has been conspicuously barred from participating in the polls, a decision she alleges is politically motivated and designed to disenfranchise millions of her loyal supporters.

Hasina, who received a death sentence in absentia for her role in a brutal crackdown on a student uprising in 2024 – an event that claimed hundreds of lives and ultimately led to the dramatic collapse of her 15-year rule – recently communicated a stark warning. She asserted that without genuinely inclusive, free, and fair elections, Bangladesh faces the ominous prospect of protracted instability and deepening social fissures. Her remarks underscore the profound challenges confronting the interim government as it navigates a delicate transition.

In her detailed correspondence, the ousted leader contended that Bangladesh's current interim administration, helmed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, has deliberately orchestrated the exclusion of her former ruling party. “Each instance where political participation is denied to a significant segment of the population inevitably deepens resentment, erodes the legitimacy of institutions, and cultivates an environment ripe for future instability,” she articulated, adding, “A government born of exclusion cannot possibly unite a divided nation.”

The upcoming February 12 election is not merely another vote; it is widely regarded as Bangladesh's most consequential electoral exercise in decades, marking the first opportunity for citizens to cast ballots since Hasina’s dramatic removal from power following the widespread popular uprising. Over 127 million Bangladeshi citizens are eligible to participate, shaping the country's trajectory at a critical juncture. Voters will also consider a proposed constitutional referendum, which promises sweeping political reforms, adding another layer of complexity to the democratic process. Campaign activities have already commenced, with rallies drawing crowds in the capital city of Dhaka and across the nation.

Muhammad Yunus, who made his return to Bangladesh and assumed leadership three days after Hasina fled to India on August 5, 2024, amidst weeks of violent civil unrest, has publicly committed to overseeing a free and fair election. However, a chorus of critics and observers have voiced significant doubts regarding whether the electoral process will genuinely adhere to established democratic standards and whether it can truly be considered inclusive, given the ban on Hasina’s prominent Awami League.

Beyond the fundamental questions of fairness, profound concerns persist regarding security across the nation and the inherent uncertainties surrounding the constitutional referendum. This proposed amendment has the potential to introduce seismic shifts to the country's foundational legal framework. In response to these apprehensions, Yunus’s office has affirmed that security forces are tasked with ensuring an orderly election environment, vowing to prevent any attempts to influence the outcome through coercion or violence. The administration has also extended invitations to international observers and human rights organizations, urging them to monitor the process meticulously, an initiative aimed at bolstering the election’s credibility. The Election Commission anticipates the presence of approximately 500 foreign observers, including delegations from the European Union and the Commonwealth, to witness the polls on February 12.

Since Hasina’s unceremonious ouster, Bangladesh has grappled with an escalating array of political and security challenges. Human rights advocates and minority groups have raised alarms, accusing the interim authorities of failing to adequately safeguard civil and political liberties. Hasina’s party has consistently alleged a pattern of arbitrary arrests and deaths in custody involving its members, claims that the government has steadfastly denied, leading to a climate of mistrust and accusation.

Furthermore, alarm bells have been sounded over the discernible increase in the influence of Islamist groups and a disturbing surge in attacks targeting minority communities, particularly the Hindu population. Concerns have also mounted regarding press freedoms under Yunus’s administration, with several journalists reportedly facing criminal charges and the offices of two of the country’s leading daily newspapers coming under attack by angry protesters, highlighting a worrying trend for media independence.

Amidst this tumultuous backdrop, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), under the leadership of Tarique Rahman, 60, has rapidly emerged as a formidable contender in the upcoming vote. Rahman, the son of the late former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia – who was Hasina’s long-standing chief political rival and passed away just last month – made a significant return home in December after more than 17 years in self-imposed exile. He has pledged to dedicate his efforts to fostering stability in this South Asian nation of 170 million people.

Rahman’s primary adversary in the critical February election is a coalition comprising 11 allied groups, prominently spearheaded by the Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami. Under Hasina’s previous government, Jamaat-e-Islami faced intense pressure, including being barred from elections, and several of its top leaders were subjected to executions or lengthy prison terms on charges of war crimes related to Bangladesh’s 1971 independence struggle against Pakistan, a period that still casts a long shadow over national politics.

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party itself has a chequered electoral history, having boycotted national elections in both 2014 and 2024. While they did participate in the 2018 polls, the BNP subsequently accused Hasina’s government of widespread rigging, further contributing to the cycle of distrust and contestation that has long characterized Bangladeshi politics.

Critics have frequently accused Hasina of presiding over an increasingly authoritarian system during her tenure, facing substantial criticism for the suppression of dissent and alleged targeting of her political opponents. Security agencies operating under her government also faced charges of enforced disappearances, allegations that have fueled ongoing debate about human rights and governance. Yet, Hasina herself has dismissed the Bangladeshi court that sentenced her to death in absentia for crimes against humanity over the uprising killings as nothing more than a “kangaroo court,” maintaining her innocence and questioning the legitimacy of the legal process. International human rights organizations have also voiced concerns about the fairness and impartiality of the trial proceedings against her.

In her recent email, Hasina passionately argued that for Bangladesh to truly advance, it must fundamentally break the entrenched cycle of political bans and boycotts. She contended that under her own administration, some elections were indeed “not truly participatory because major political parties chose to boycott democratic processes.” While acknowledging that this situation “was far from ideal,” she emphasized that it is now incumbent upon all of Bangladesh's political parties to collectively end this destructive cycle, warning, “Otherwise, there will be no redemption.” The nation, she concluded, desperately requires a “legitimate government” that will govern “with the genuine consent of the people.” “That is the best way for the nation to heal its wounds and move towards a more stable and prosperous future,” she added, offering a stark vision for a country at a crossroads.