Bangladesh Elections: Bangladesh’s former prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday dismissed the country’s parliamentary elections as a “well-planned farce” and sought to have them annulled, claiming widespread irregularities and intimidation.
Hasina rejected what she called the “farcical election of the murderous-fascist Yunus” and sought fresh polls under a neutral interim government to restore voting rights to the people.
In a statement issued on her party’s Awami League social media after polls closed, Hasina, who is currently in exile in India, accused the interim administration led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus of conducting “illegal and unconstitutional” elections without her party’s participation.
Hasina called the polls “voterless” and claimed that democratic norms and constitutional values were being disregarded. She alleged that incidents of booth capturing, firing, vote buying, ballot stamping and coercion were reported on the eve of the election.
“From the evening of February 11, this farce began with the occupation of polling stations, shootings, vote-buying, money distribution, ballot-stamping and agents signing the result sheets. By the morning of February 12, voter turnout was negligible in most polling centers across the country, and many centers in the capital and other areas had no voters at all.”
Bangladesh held key parliamentary elections on February 12 amid sporadic incidents of violence to elect a new government to replace the interim administration that took over after the fall of the Awami League regime in August 2024.
Hasina’s Awami League was denied permission to contest these elections. Hasina said her party’s absence would leave millions of supporters without a candidate and prompt many to boycott the election.
The Bangladesh National Party (BNP) has made Hasina’s release a central campaign issue. The party says India’s continued harboring of the ousted leader undermines Bangladesh’s due process and sovereignty.
“Public Rejects Awami League’s Free Elections”
Citing Election Commission figures, Hasina pointed to low voter turnout in the early hours of voting as evidence that the public had rejected what she called an “election without the Awami League”. She also alleged that Awami League supporters and minority communities faced intimidation before the elections.
“Even so, despite all the threats and harassment, the people rejected these fraudulent elections, leaving most polling centers virtually empty,” she said, pointing to what she called an abnormal increase in the number of voters seen on the voter rolls, especially in Dhaka city, which she said. raises serious questions and is highly suspect.
The Awami League leader called for the annulment of the election and the resignation of chief adviser Muhammad Yunus. It also demanded the release of political prisoners and the withdrawal of cases filed against party workers and supporters
“Revocation of suspension of Awami League activities. New elections under neutral caretaker government,” she said.
This farce started with occupying polling stations, shooting, buying votes, distributing money, stamping ballots.
The interim government insists that the elections were held in accordance with constitutional procedures and with extensive security measures. Election officials said voting was largely peaceful despite sporadic incidents.
The outcome of the polls is expected to shape Bangladesh’s political trajectory after the 2024 student-led uprising that ended Hasina’s 15-year rule.