DHAKA, Bangladesh (AP) – In an email from her exile in India, Sheikh Hasina, the ousted leader of Bangladesh, has criticized the upcoming election scheduled for February 12, 2024, after her party, the Awami League, was barred from participating. Her comments may escalate existing tensions as the country prepares for this pivotal vote, the first since her removal in the aftermath of a mass uprising that ended her 15-year rule.
Hasina has been sentenced to death for her response to a student uprising that resulted in hundreds of fatalities. In her remarks, she warned that without inclusive, free, and fair elections, Bangladesh would likely experience prolonged instability. She accused the interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, of deliberately disenfranchising millions of her supporters by excluding her party from the electoral process.
“Each time political participation is denied to a significant portion of the population, it deepens resentment, delegitimizes institutions, and creates the conditions for future instability,” Hasina wrote. She further emphasized that a government stemming from exclusion cannot effectively unite a divided nation.
With over 127 million citizens eligible to vote, the upcoming election is viewed as one of the most consequential in decades. Campaigning commenced recently, with Yunus's interim administration supervising not only the elections but also a proposed constitutional referendum suggesting sweeping political reforms. While Yunus has pledged free and fair elections, skepticism remains regarding whether these promises will translate into actual democratic standards, especially following the ban on Hasina's Awami League party.
Concerns regarding security have been raised as voters prepare for this election. The interim government has stated that security forces will ensure a secure election environment, stopping anyone from influencing the outcome through coercion or violence. Moreover, approximately 500 international observers, including representatives from the European Union and the Commonwealth, are expected to oversee the voting process.
Bangladesh has been grappling with a plethora of political and security issues since Hasina's ouster. Allegations have surfaced regarding arbitrary arrests and deaths in custody involving her party members, which the interim government denies. Additionally, there are rising fears of increasing Islamist influence and attacks on minority groups, particularly Hindus. Media freedom under Yunus has also come under scrutiny, with various journalists facing legal challenges and leading newspapers experiencing violence from angry protestors.
Amidst this complex political landscape, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Tarique Rahman, has emerged as a significant contender in the election. Rahman, son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, who passed away recently, has returned home after nearly two decades in self-imposed exile, promising to focus on national stability. His primary competitor is a coalition consisting of 11 groups, spearheaded by the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami, which faced severe restrictions under Hasina's government.
Throughout her tenure, Hasina has been criticized for leading an increasingly authoritarian regime, suppressing dissent, and allowing state security agencies to commit enforced disappearances. Despite her death sentence in absentia, which she dismisses as a “kangaroo court” ruling, Hasina claims that Bangladesh must move beyond cycles of political bans and boycotts. She believes that while some of her past elections were not fully participatory due to boycotts from major parties, there is a pressing need for renewal and healing in the political system.
According to Hasina, the nation must seek a legitimate government elected with genuine public consent in order to heal its divisions. In her view, breaking the cycle of exclusion is essential for national redemption.
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Reported by Julhas Alam and Sheikh Saaliq, The Associated Press.
