From her exile in India, Awami League President and five-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sharply criticised the country’s upcoming February 12 election, warning that the exclusion of her Awami League party risks deepening national divisions and prolonging instability.
In an email interview with The Associated Press last week, she described the vote—overseen by the Jamaat-controlled interim government of Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus—as fundamentally flawed due to the deliberate disenfranchisement of millions of her supporters.
“Each time political participation is denied to a significant portion of the population, it deepens resentment, delegitimises institutions and creates the conditions for future instability,” Sheikh Hasina wrote. “A government born of exclusion cannot unite a divided nation.”
She accused Yunus’ administration of engineering the ban on the Awami League to sideline a major political force, claiming it undermines the legitimacy of any future government. “Without inclusive and free and fair elections, Bangladesh will face prolonged instability,” she warned.
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Sheikh Hasina dismissed the trial that led to her death sentence as a “kangaroo court,” echoing concerns from international rights groups about its fairness.
She acknowledged flaws in past elections under her rule—some boycotted by major parties—but called for an end to cycles of exclusion and boycotts. “I recognise this was far from ideal,” she said of previous non-participatory polls. “Otherwise, there will be no redemption.”
She emphasised the need for a “legitimate government” with “genuine consent of the people” to help the nation “heal its wounds.”
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