Bangladesh would remain politically unstable if the current interim government, headed by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, fails to hold an inclusive election, said Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the son of Awami League President and five-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In an interview <\/a>with The Associated Press on Wednesday, Sajeeb Wazed called on the interim government to lift a ban on the party, saying that an election planned for February 2026\u2014excluding the Awami League\u2014 would be a sham.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis ban has to be lifted, the elections have to be inclusive and free and fair,\u201d Sajeeb Wazed, who was a former adviser to the government headed by her mother, told the AP from Washington D.C.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat is happening now really is an attempt to keep my mother and our political leaders from running in elections. This is political manipulation disguised as justice,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sajeeb Wazed: Rise of extremism brought back dark days of minority persecution<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sajeeb Wazed thanks people showing respect to Bangabandhu<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sajeeb Wazed bins graft charges, condemns farcical trial for Purbachal plots<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In May, the interim government banned the activities of the Awami League party until the trials at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Six rights groups<\/a>, including Human Rights Watch and the Committee to Protect Journalists, issued a letter to Yunus last week urging an end to the \u201cbroad ban\u201d on Awami League\u2019s activities, saying it \u201cexcessively restricts freedom of association, assembly, and expression and has been used to arrest Awami League members and perceived supporters engaged in peaceful activities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sajeeb Wazed has been living in the US for the last 30 years and faced intimidation from the Barack Obama and Joe Biden administrations as his mother, Sheikh Hasina, started an investigation into corruption and embezzlement by Yunus in 2011.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The July Charter Scam: A deal without the nation<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n What is behind the IRI team\u2019s meeting with BNP, Yunus amid crisis?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Nobonita Chowdhury connects the dots: Jamaat is NCP\u2019s mother party<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n If the Awami League party is not given enough time to prepare for the election, the results \u201cwill not be recognised by the people of the country, by international observers. We are not allowed to conduct any election preparation. So even if the ban is lifted at the last minute, the elections will be a sham,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bangladesh, a parliamentary democracy with a population of 170 million, has 52 registered political parties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Islamist party returns<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), headed by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, is the main contender in the next election. Another major party, Jatiya Party (JaPa), is not allowed to operate openly, with its party headquarters attacked and burned down and its rallies routinely thwarted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bangladesh\u2019s political landscape is also more fragmented than before after the country\u2019s largest Islamist party, the Jamaat-e-Islami, returned to politics more than a decade after it was suppressed by Hasina\u2019s government. Over the last year, it has significantly expanded its presence and is attempting to build an alliance with other hardline Islamist groups and parties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sajeeb Wazed said Islamists would gain if Bangladesh remained unstable. He blamed Yunus for backing them and planning a \u201crigged election\u201d to bring them to power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Awami League protests mob attacks on party\u2019s processions<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n UK meeting concerned over election, democratic transition under Yunus<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n 6 international human rights groups urge Yunus to bolster protections<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n He acknowledged some initial \u201cmistakes\u201d from the Awami League government, which has been accused of brutally cracking down on the protesters, but disputed a United Nations report saying up to 1,400 people may have been killed during the uprising. He cited a statement from a health adviser under Yunus, saying that about 800 people, including protesters, police and Awami League supporters, were killed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Human rights accusations<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sajeeb Wazed said all the deaths were \u201cregrettable\u201d and needed a thorough investigation, but questioned the Yunus-led government\u2019s decision to grant immunity to the protesters involved in last year\u2019s violence. He also accused Yunus\u2019 government of initiating a witch-hunt against Hasina, who has been charged with crimes against humanity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n July Charter: Sheikh Hasina condemns indemnity for \u2018killings by July heroes\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n ICT-BD: Sheikh Hasina slams General Waker for insults to army officers<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Election Blueprint: Yunus, allies are planning to retain power<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Last week, the Jamaat-backed chief prosecutor of the ICT-BD sought the death penalty for Sheikh Hasina\u2014a move that proves politically motivated trials. She did not appoint any lawyers to represent her, and she had earlier rejected the trial process as a \u201ckangaroo court.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sajeeb Wazed also accused the Yunus government of violating human and political rights, saying tens of thousands of Awami League party supporters have been jailed for over a year and denied bail, with many of them charged with murder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Arafat hits at Yunus apologists for attempts to exclude Awami League from elections<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Election Commission\u2019s observer list lacks legitimacy and transparency<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n