Exiled Leader Sheikh Hasina Issues Stark Warning Over Bangladesh's Upcoming Election
From her exile in India, Bangladesh's ousted former leader Sheikh Hasina has launched a scathing critique of the country's forthcoming election, following the exclusion of her political party from the pivotal polls scheduled for next month. Her remarks, delivered via email to The Associated Press, threaten to heighten political tensions in a nation already grappling with profound uncertainty and division.
A Government 'Born of Exclusion'
Hasina, whose fifteen-year rule was terminated in 2024 after a violent student uprising, warned that Bangladesh faces the prospect of prolonged instability unless the electoral process is inclusive, free, and fair. She specifically accused the interim administration, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, of deliberately disenfranchising millions of her supporters by barring her former ruling party, the Awami League.
"Each time political participation is denied to a significant portion of the population, it deepens resentment, delegitimizes institutions and creates the conditions for future instability," Hasina wrote. "A government born of exclusion cannot unite a divided nation."
A Fraught Electoral Landscape
More than 127 million Bangladeshis are eligible to participate in what is widely regarded as the nation's most consequential election in decades, set for February 12th. This will be the first national vote since Hasina's removal from power. The process is being overseen by Yunus's caretaker government, with voters also set to decide on a proposed constitutional referendum that promises sweeping political reforms.
Campaigning commenced last week, featuring rallies in the capital, Dhaka, and other urban centres. Yunus assumed control just three days after Hasina fled to India on August 5th, 2024, following weeks of violent unrest. While he has pledged a free and fair election, significant doubts persist among critics regarding the democratic standards of the process and its genuine inclusivity following the Awami League ban. Further concerns revolve around security arrangements and the uncertainty surrounding the potential constitutional changes.
Security Assurances and International Scrutiny
In a statement to the AP, Yunus's office asserted that security forces would ensure an orderly election and prevent any coercion or violence aimed at influencing the outcome. The administration has extended invitations to international observers and human rights groups to monitor the proceedings. The Election Commission anticipates around 500 foreign observers, including delegations from the European Union and the Commonwealth, to be present on polling day.
Mounting Political and Social Challenges
Since Hasina's ouster, Bangladesh has confronted a series of political and security hurdles. Human rights and minority groups have levelled accusations at the interim authorities for failing to adequately protect civil and political rights. The Awami League has alleged arbitrary arrests and custodial deaths of its members, claims which the government has denied.
Critics have also expressed alarm over the rising influence of Islamist factions and attacks on minority communities, particularly Hindus. Press freedoms under Yunus's administration have come under growing scrutiny, with several journalists facing criminal charges and the offices of the country's two leading newspapers being attacked by protesters.
The Emerging Political Contenders
With the Awami League excluded, the political landscape has shifted. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Tarique Rahman, has emerged as a leading contender. Rahman, the son of Hasina's late chief rival Khaleda Zia, returned from over seventeen years of self-imposed exile in December, pledging to work for national stability.
His primary rival in the February election is a coalition of eleven allied groups headed by the Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami. This party faced severe pressure and was barred from elections under Hasina's rule, with its senior leaders prosecuted for war crimes related to the 1971 independence war. The BNP itself boycotted the 2014 and 2024 elections and accused Hasina of rigging the 2018 poll it contested.
Hasina's Call to 'Heal the Nation's Wounds'
Hasina, who was sentenced to death in absentia by a Bangladeshi court for her crackdown on the 2024 uprising—a verdict she dismissed as originating from a "kangaroo court"—has long faced criticism for presiding over an increasingly authoritarian system. Accusations included the suppression of dissent and political opponents, with security agencies under her government charged with enforced disappearances.
Nevertheless, in her communication, Hasina argued that Bangladesh must break the cycle of political bans and boycotts to progress. She acknowledged that under her government, some elections were "not truly participatory because major political parties chose to boycott democratic processes," admitting this was "far from ideal."
She urged all political parties to end this destructive cycle, contending that the nation "needs a legitimate government" that governs "with the genuine consent of the people."
"That is the best way for the nation to heal its wounds," she concluded, framing the upcoming vote as a critical juncture for national reconciliation or further division.
