Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday issued a strongly worded statement rejecting the national election conducted under the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus, calling it a “voter-less, illegal and unconstitutional” exercise that was widely boycotted by the people.
For the first time in 30 years, the boat, the Awami League’s electoral symbol, did not appear on the ballot paper in the election, the first since the ouster of Hasina in massive nationwide protests in August 2024.
Hasina, 78, has been staying in India after she fled the country.
The statement, released by the Bangladesh Awami League and shared on the party’s official X handle, expressed gratitude from Hasina, described as the “People’s Leader,” to citizens, including women and minority communities, for what it said was their rejection of a “so-called election” held without the participation of the Awami League.
“Today’s so-called election by Yunus, who seized power illegally and unconstitutionally, was essentially a well-planned farce,” the statement said, alleging that voting rights, democratic values and the spirit of the Constitution were completely disregarded in an election conducted in the absence of the country’s largest political party.
According to the statement, irregularities began on the evening of February 11 and included the seizure of polling centres, gunfire, vote-buying, distribution of money, stamping of ballots and unauthorised agents signing result sheets. By the morning of February 12, Hasina claimed, voter turnout was negligible across most polling centres nationwide, with many centres in Dhaka and other areas reporting no voters at all.
Citing figures attributed to the Election Commission, the Awami League said voter turnout stood at just 14.96 per cent by 11 am around three and a half hours after polling began. The party said the low participation demonstrated that the Awami League-free election had been overwhelmingly rejected by the public.
The statement further alleged that in the days preceding the vote, Awami League supporters, voters, well-wishers and minority communities were subjected to continuous attacks, arrests, intimidation and fear. Despite what it described as threats and harassment aimed at forcing people towards polling centres, the party said citizens chose to stay away, leaving most centres effectively empty.
Hasina also raised concerns over what the party termed “abnormal increases” in voter numbers, particularly in Dhaka city, calling the issue highly suspicious and demanding scrutiny.
In the statement, the Awami League put forward a series of demands, including the cancellation of the election, the resignation of Yunus, the release of all political prisoners, including teachers, journalists and intellectuals, the withdrawal of what it described as false cases, the revocation of restrictions on Awami League activities, and the holding of free, fair and inclusive elections under a neutral caretaker government to restore people’s voting rights.
Following the July 2024 mass uprising that led to the removal of the Awami League from power, the interim government imposed a ban on all activities of the party on May 12 last year.
Soon afterwards, the Election Commission suspended the party’s registration.
The government has said the ban will remain in place until trials at the International Crimes Tribunal are completed.
As a result, the party, which governed Bangladesh for more than two decades across six separate terms, has been barred from contesting the election.