Bangladesh’s deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday (February 12, 2026) referred to as the overall elections being held by the interim authorities “a well-planned farce” and demanded holding of “free, honest and inclusive elections beneath a impartial caretaker authorities”.
For the primary time in 30 years, the boat, the Awami League’s electoral image, didn’t seem on the poll paper within the election, the primary because the ouster of Hasina in huge nationwide protests in August 2024.
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Ms. Hasina, 78, who has been staying in India after she fled Bangladesh, stated the elections being held beneath the interim authorities of Muhammad Yunus was primarily “a well-planned farce”.
“The folks’s voting rights, democratic values, and the spirit of the Structure had been fully disregarded on this misleading, voterless election performed with out the Awami League,” she wrote on her social gathering’s social media.
“From the night of 11 February, this farce started with seizure of polling centres, gunfire, vote-buying, distribution of cash, stamping of ballots, and brokers signing end result sheets,” she alleged.
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Ms. Hasina claimed that by the morning of February 12, “voter turnout was negligible in most polling centres nationwide, and in lots of centres throughout the capital and different areas, there have been no voters in any respect”.
“In line with the Election Fee’s briefing, by 11 a.m. — simply three and a half hours into voting — solely 14.96% of eligible voters had participated,” she stated.
This extraordinarily low turnout clearly exhibits that the Awami League–free election was broadly rejected by the folks, Ms. Hasina stated.
Ms. Hasina stated within the previous days, “steady assaults, arrests, intimidation, and concern had been inflicted on Awami League voters, supporters, well-wishers, and minority communities”.
“Even so, regardless of all threats and harassment, folks rejected this fraudulent election, leaving most polling centres successfully empty,” she claimed.
The previous Premier additionally alleged that “irregular will increase in voter numbers had been noticed in voter lists, particularly in Dhaka metropolis, which raises critical questions and is extremely suspicious”.
The Awami League demanded the cancellation of this “voter-less, unlawful, and unconstitutional election”.
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The social gathering referred to as for the resignation of Mr. Yunus and demanded the discharge of all “political prisoners, together with academics, journalists, and intellectuals, and withdrawal of all false circumstances”.
The social gathering additionally demanded the revocation of the suspension on Awami League actions.
It referred to as for holding of “free, honest, and inclusive elections beneath a impartial caretaker authorities”.
Following the July 2024 mass rebellion that led to the removing of the Awami League from energy, the interim authorities imposed a ban on all actions of the social gathering on Could 12 final yr.
Quickly afterwards, the Election Fee suspended the social gathering’s registration.
The federal government has stated the ban will stay in place till trials on the Worldwide Crimes Tribunal are accomplished.
Consequently, the social gathering, which ruled Bangladesh for greater than 20 years throughout six separate phrases, has been barred from contesting the election.
Printed – February 13, 2026 06:56 am IST