{"id":5920,"date":"2026-01-29T22:37:03","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T16:37:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailyrepublicbd.com\/?p=5920"},"modified":"2026-01-29T22:37:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T16:37:09","slug":"interview-with-ap-sheikh-hasina-denounces-election-as-fundamentally-flawed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyrepublicbd.com\/?p=5920","title":{"rendered":"Interview With AP: Sheikh Hasina denounces election as fundamentally flawed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>From her exile in India, Awami League President and five-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sharply criticised the country\u2019s upcoming February 12 election, warning that the exclusion of her Awami League party risks deepening national divisions and prolonging instability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In an email <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/bangladesh-election-sheikh-hasina-yunus-2c2660332e986b99f3fccec992799523\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">interview <\/a>with The Associated Press last week, she described the vote\u2014overseen by the Jamaat-controlled interim government of Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus\u2014as fundamentally flawed due to the deliberate disenfranchisement of millions of her supporters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEach time political participation is denied to a significant portion of the population, it deepens resentment, delegitimises institutions and creates the conditions for future instability,\u201d Sheikh Hasina wrote. \u201cA government born of exclusion cannot unite a divided nation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She accused Yunus\u2019 administration of engineering the ban on the Awami League to sideline a major political force, claiming it undermines the legitimacy of any future government. \u201cWithout inclusive and free and fair elections, Bangladesh will face prolonged instability,\u201d she warned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dailyrepublicbd.com\/?p=5876\">Sheikh Hasina reveals her priorities after return to Bangladesh<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dailyrepublicbd.com\/?p=5871\">Sheikh Hasina: BNP should unban Awami League if voted to power<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/dailyrepublicbd.com\/?p=5848\">Sheikh Hasina slams Yunus for holding farcical polls, repression on party members<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sheikh Hasina dismissed the trial that led to her death sentence as a \u201ckangaroo court,\u201d echoing concerns from international rights groups about its fairness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She acknowledged flaws in past elections under her rule\u2014some boycotted by major parties\u2014but called for an end to cycles of exclusion and boycotts. \u201cI recognise this was far from ideal,\u201d she said of previous non-participatory polls. \u201cOtherwise, there will be no redemption.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She emphasised the need for a \u201clegitimate government\u201d with \u201cgenuine consent of the people\u201d to help the nation \u201cheal its wounds.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>From her exile in India, Awami League President and five-time Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has sharply criticised the country\u2019s upcoming February 12 election, warning that the exclusion of her Awami&hellip; 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