New Delhi— Bangladesh’s former Prime Minister and Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina has warned that millions of her supporters will boycott the upcoming national elections if her party is not allowed to participate.
In an interview with Reuters from New Delhi, where she has been living in exile since August 2024, Hasina said she will not be part of any political process or government that excludes the Awami League.
“The ban on the Awami League is not only unfair but also damaging for the government itself. If millions of voters are disenfranchised, the political system will collapse,” Hasina said.
Fall from Power After 2024 Uprising
Hasina fled Bangladesh in August 2024 following a deadly student-led uprising that toppled her government. After her ouster, an interim administration led by Nobel laureate economist Muhammad Yunus took charge and announced that elections would be held in February 2025.
In May 2025, the Election Commission suspended the Awami League’s registration, while the interim government banned all party activities, citing national security concerns and ongoing war crimes investigations.
Hasina Rejects Charges, Calls Them “Political Revenge”
The former prime minister faces multiple war crimes charges, including allegations of state-backed violence, enforced disappearances, and torture during the 2024 anti-government protests.
According to a United Nations report, over 1,400 people were killed in those protests, most from gunfire by security forces.
Hasina dismissed the charges as fabricated and politically motivated, saying:
“This is all a farce. There is no hope of justice in such false trials.”
Interim Government Yet to Respond
The Yunus administration has not issued any official response to Hasina’s remarks. Officials have previously stated that the government’s priority is restoring law and order and ensuring a credible election process.
Hasina, however, argues that excluding her party undermines democratic legitimacy, stating,
“We are not asking for anyone’s support. We only expect rationality and fairness. The Awami League must be allowed to contest.”
From Economic Success to Political Fallout
Sheikh Hasina, who is credited with transforming Bangladesh’s economy during her four terms as prime minister, also faces criticism over human rights abuses and a crackdown on political opposition. Her last election victory in 2023 was widely boycotted by the opposition and deemed one-sided by international observers.
No Immediate Plans for Return
The 77-year-old leader said she has no immediate plans to return to Bangladesh, citing safety and political instability.
“I will return only when constitutional order and political stability are restored,” she added, vowing that the Awami League will continue to play a major role in the country’s political future, whether in power or opposition.”
