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Bangladesh’s deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina connected Thursday (February 12, 2026) called the wide elections being held by the interim authorities “a well-planned farce” and demanded holding of “free, just and inclusive elections nether a neutral caretaker government”.
For the archetypal clip successful 30 years, the boat, the Awami League’s electoral symbol, did not look connected the ballot insubstantial successful the election, the archetypal since the ouster of Hasina successful monolithic nationwide protests successful August 2024.
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Ms. Hasina, 78, who has been staying successful India aft she fled Bangladesh, said the elections being held nether the interim authorities of Muhammad Yunus was fundamentally “a well-planned farce”.
“The people’s voting rights, antiauthoritarian values, and the tone of the Constitution were wholly disregarded successful this deceptive, voterless predetermination conducted without the Awami League,” she wrote connected her party’s societal media.
“From the evening of 11 February, this farce began with seizure of polling centres, gunfire, vote-buying, organisation of money, stamping of ballots, and agents signing effect sheets,” she alleged.
Ms. Hasina claimed that by the greeting of February 12, “voter turnout was negligible successful astir polling centres nationwide, and successful galore centres crossed the superior and different areas, determination were nary voters astatine all”.
“According to the Election Commission’s briefing, by 11 a.m. — conscionable 3 and a fractional hours into voting — lone 14.96% of eligible voters had participated,” she said.
This highly debased turnout intelligibly shows that the Awami League–free predetermination was wide rejected by the people, Ms. Hasina said.
Ms. Hasina said successful the preceding days, “continuous attacks, arrests, intimidation, and fearfulness were inflicted connected Awami League voters, supporters, well-wishers, and number communities”.
“Even so, contempt each threats and harassment, radical rejected this fraudulent election, leaving astir polling centres efficaciously empty,” she claimed.
The erstwhile Premier besides alleged that “abnormal increases successful elector numbers were observed successful elector lists, particularly successful Dhaka city, which raises superior questions and is highly suspicious”.
The Awami League demanded the cancellation of this “voter-less, illegal, and unconstitutional election”.
The enactment called for the resignation of Mr. Yunus and demanded the merchandise of each “political prisoners, including teachers, journalists, and intellectuals, and withdrawal of each mendacious cases”.
The enactment besides demanded the revocation of the suspension connected Awami League activities.
It called for holding of “free, fair, and inclusive elections nether a neutral caretaker government”.
Following the July 2024 wide uprising that led to the removal of the Awami League from power, the interim authorities imposed a prohibition connected each activities of the enactment connected May 12 past year.
Soon afterwards, the Election Commission suspended the party’s registration.
The authorities has said the prohibition volition stay successful spot until trials astatine the International Crimes Tribunal are completed.
As a result, the party, which governed Bangladesh for much than 2 decades crossed six abstracted terms, has been barred from contesting the election.
