New Delhi: Bangladesh’s ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has demanded that the recently concluded 13th Parliamentary elections in the country be cancelled. She termed the entire exercise, “voterless, illegal and unconstitutional.” This was the first reaction of the former leader of the country after the voting process was over and counting started.
This was the first election in Bangladesh after the 2024 uprising which ousted Hasina from power.
‘Elections were deceptive’: Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina labelled the elections “deceptive” and said that they were organised without her party, the Awami League, reported NDTV. She also said that the elections were held without voters.
In a social media post, she wrote, “In this situation, we demand the cancellation of this voterless, illegal, and unconstitutional election; the resignation of Yunus.”
Hasina also demanded the release of all political prisoners. She said that people who were jailed after false cases were filed against them, like teachers, intellectuals and professionals, must be released immediately. She also asked the government to remove the suspension imposed upon her party, the Awami League and said that the people’s rights to vote must be restored and a free and fair elections must be held under a neutral authority.
Hasina claimed that the voter turnout in the elections in Bangladesh was extremely low. She said that several polling stations in the capital, Dhaka were completely empty.
Hasina, quoting the Election Commission voting figures, said that the voter turnout till 11 am, which is the peak voting hour, was just 14.96%. She said that this showed that the electors of the country had boycotted the national elections, without the participation of the Awami League.
Hasina targets Yunus-led interim government
Hasina also criticised the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government of the country. She accused the current leader of disregarding the people’s voting rights, democratic values and also the constitution.
She accused the interim government of organising the capturing of polling booths, using money to buy votes, stamping ballot papers and forcefully taking the signature of polling agents on blank papers. She basically meant that the elections in the country were rigged.
She also said that in recent days, there were several arrests attacks and intimidation tactics used against Awami League workers and supporters. She said that the supporters of her party were “forcibly taken to polling booths.”
She further claimed that the number of voters on the voters list had increased abnormally. This, she said was true especially for Dhaka. Hasina was quoted as saying that this increase was “questionable and unbelievable.”
More than 127 million people were eligible to vote this year in the first elections in Bangladesh, since the ouster of Hasina from power. The Awami League lost power after a Gen Z uprising, which forced Hasina to flee Bangladesh. She has been living in exile in India since August 2024.