Sajeeb Wazed: Yunus is preparing to flee as ‘foreign hand’ shadows polls

Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son of ousted Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has branded the upcoming February 12, 2026, general elections as “totally rigged” and a “complete mockery of democracy” in a scathing exclusive interview with News18.

With the Awami League—Bangladesh’s largest political party—fully barred from contesting alongside other groups, Wazed alleged deep foreign interference, particularly from Pakistan, and claimed interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus is secretly preparing to flee the country.

The interview comes just days after Bangladesh’s Election Commission announced the poll schedule on December 11, marking the first national vote since the 2024 student-led uprising that toppled Hasina’s government. Voting will coincide with a referendum on the controversial “July Charter” constitutional reforms.

The Awami League, with its political activities banned under the interim administration’s anti-terrorism measures since May 2025, has rejected the schedule outright, calling the Election Commission “illegal” and demanding a neutral caretaker government.

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Wazed, speaking from the United States where he resides, pulled no punches on the electoral process: “This is going to be a rigged election, with the largest political party and the third-largest party banned from contesting. Not only the Awami League, but also parties such as the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal and the Workers Party have been barred.”

He vowed resistance, stating that Awami League supporters have already launched small protest marches, with plans for larger demonstrations. “We will fight this politically,” Wazed said.

On Yunus, the Nobel laureate leading the interim government since August 2024, Wazed was particularly damning. Denying speculation that Yunus aspires to the presidency, he claimed: “No. I believe Yunus is trying to sell his businesses in Bangladesh and transfer his funds through Azerbaijan. He plans to leave the country and settle in France, where he owns a home.”

Wazed pointed to a recent private visit to Dhaka by the Azerbaijani president’s daughter as evidence, accusing Yunus of money laundering.

Allegations of foreign meddling were central to Wazed’s critique. “Pakistan is definitely involved,” he asserted, adding that the “Azerbaijan angle is also extremely serious.” If the “rigged” polls proceed, Wazed warned, “Bangladesh will become an Islamist state under Jamaat-e-Islami.”

Distinguishing between rivals, Wazed identified Jamaat-e-Islami—the Islamist party now free to contest after restrictions were lifted—as the Awami League’s “biggest enemy,” accusing it of opposing Bangladesh’s independence and seeking to transform the country into a “terrorist state.” In contrast, he described the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) merely as a “political opponent.”

The BNP, led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman (expected to return soon), is widely seen as the frontrunner in a field reshaped by the Awami League’s exclusion. Surveys suggest strong support for BNP and Jamaat, with emerging student-backed parties trailing.

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Yunus’ administration has defended the election as a “historic opportunity” for a fair vote, emphasising reforms to prevent past authoritarian excesses. However, the Awami League’s ban—tied to ongoing trials over alleged crimes during Hasina’s tenure—has fueled accusations of political vendetta.

Hasina, exiled in India since fleeing in August 2024, faces multiple charges in Bangladesh, including a death sentence in absentia. Wazed has previously credited India with saving his mother’s life amid alleged assassination threats.

As nomination filings begin later this month, Bangladesh braces for heightened tensions. With the Awami League mobilising protests and deep divisions over foreign influence and Islamist resurgence, the February polls risk deepening the nation’s post-uprising fractures rather than healing them.

Observers warn that excluding a party with a history of electoral dominance could undermine the vote’s legitimacy, echoing past boycotts that plagued Bangladeshi democracy.