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Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said millions of her Awami League supporters will boycott next year’s national elections because her party is barred from contesting the elections.
Speaking from her exile in New Delhi, the 78-year-old said she would not return to Bangladesh under any government formed without her party’s participation. An interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has been ruling the country since his ouster. Hasina’s party has been barred from taking part in the elections.
Bangladesh’s Election Commission suspended the Awami League’s registration in May after the interim government of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus banned the activities of all political parties. Yunus cited national security risks and war crimes allegations against senior Awami League leaders.
Hasina, accused of human rights violations, won for the fourth consecutive time in 2024. She now faces charges of crimes against humanity over her crackdown on 2024 student protests, which left nearly 1,400 people dead and thousands injured, according to a UN report.
“The ban on Awami League is not only unjust but self-defeating,” Hasina said. reuters,
He said, “The next government must have electoral legitimacy. Millions of people support the Awami League, so as things stand, they will not vote. If you want a political system that works, you cannot disenfranchise millions of people.”
Sheikh Hasina denied all the allegations against her, saying that she was not personally involved in any of the alleged crimes.
“These proceedings are a politically motivated drama. They have been brought by kangaroo courts, with guilty verdicts already in place. I was mostly denied prior notice or any meaningful opportunity to defend myself,” he said. reuters,
Where is Sheikh Hasina now?
A reuters The reporter recently saw the ousted Prime Minister of Bangladesh strolling quietly in Lodhi Garden. He humbly expressed his gratitude to those who recognized him.
While Haseena lives “freely” in Delhi, she remains cautious due to her family’s violent past.
Sheikh Hasina lost her father and three brothers in the 1975 military coup. She and her sister, who were abroad, remained safe.
Sheikh Hasina said, “I would definitely like to go home, as long as the government there was legitimate, the Constitution was being upheld and law and order was maintained.”
He said, “This is not really about me or my family. For Bangladesh to achieve the future we all want, there must be a return to constitutional rule and political stability. No one person or family defines the future of our country.”
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