Dhaka’s political landscape remains turbulent as former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina unleashed a scathing critique of the recent 13th parliamentary elections, branding them a complete ‘farce,’ illegal, and unconstitutional. In a strongly worded statement released via the Awami League’s official X platform, Hasina expressed gratitude to women, minorities, and ordinary citizens for their resounding rejection of what she called a manipulated spectacle.
Under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, these elections have been decried as a ‘premeditated drama’ designed to cling to power through undemocratic means. Hasina highlighted the absence of Awami League participation, arguing it rendered the process voteless and a blatant violation of democratic rights and constitutional principles. Voter turnout was abysmally low, with many polling stations in the capital and beyond standing eerily empty.
From the evening of February 11, reports flooded in of polling stations being seized, gunfire echoing, blatant vote-buying, cash distributions, pre-stamped ballots, and coerced signatures on result sheets from agents. By morning on February 12, voter presence across most centers was negligible. Citing election commission data, Hasina noted that only 14.96% of voters had cast ballots by 11 AM—mere hours after polls opened—clear evidence of public disdain.
Pre-election violence targeted Awami League supporters, voters, and minorities with arrests, intimidation, and assaults to keep them away from polls. Despite these tactics, the public stayed away, leaving booths deserted. Anomalies like suspicious surges in voter lists in Dhaka further fueled doubts about the process’s integrity.
Hasina demanded the outright cancellation of this ‘voteless, illegal’ election. The Awami League called for the resignation of what they termed the ‘killer-fascist Yunus regime,’ release of all political prisoners including teachers, journalists, and intellectuals, withdrawal of fabricated cases, lifting of bans on party activities, and fresh polls under a neutral interim setup to restore true voting rights.
This bold stance underscores deep divisions in Bangladesh’s body politic, raising questions about the legitimacy of the new mandate and the path forward for democracy in the nation.