Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has stated that millions of her supporters from the Awami League will boycott next year’s national election, as her party has been barred from contesting.
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 her ouster. Hasina’s party is barred from participating in the elections.
Bangladesh’s Election Commission suspended the Awami League’s registration in May after Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus’ interim government had banned all political party activities. Yunus cited national security risks and war crimes charges against senior Awami League leaders.
Hasina, accused of human rights violations, won a fourth straight term in 2024. She now faces charges of crimes against humanity over the crackdown on 2024 student protests that killed nearly 1,400 people and injured thousands more, according to a UN report.
“The ban on the Awami League is not only unjust, it is self-defeating,” Hasina told Reuters.
“The next government must have electoral legitimacy. Millions of people support the Awami League, so as things stand, they will not vote. You cannot disenfranchise millions of people if you want a political system that works,” she said.
While denying all allegations against her, Sheikh Hasina said that she was not personally involved in any alleged crimes.
“These proceedings are a politically-motivated charade. They’ve been brought by kangaroo courts, with guilty verdicts a foregone conclusion. I was mostly denied prior notice or any meaningful opportunity to defend myself,” she told Reuters.
Where is Sheikh Hasina now?
A Reuters reporter recently spotted the ousted Bangladesh PM walking quietly in Lodhi Garden. She politely acknowledged those who recognised her.
While Hasina lives “freely” in Delhi, she remains vigilant because of her family’s violent past.
Sheikh Hasina lost her father and three brothers in a 1975 military coup. She and her sister, who were abroad, remained unharmed.
“I would of course love to go home, so long as the government there was legitimate, the constitution was being upheld, and law and order genuinely prevailed,” Sheikh Hasina said.
“It’s really not 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 single person or family defines our country’s future,” she added.
