Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League Declares Nationwide Boycott of February 12 Elections
Exiled party leaders term polls “illegal exercise” and demand restoration of democracy under Sheikh Hasina.
Bangladesh, Jan 24 : The exiled leadership of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League has announced a nationwide boycott of Bangladesh’s February 12 general elections, labeling the upcoming polls an “illegal exercise.”
Mohammad A. Arafat, former Bangladeshi Minister of State for Information, urged citizens, party workers, and supporters to abstain from the elections, describing them as “one sided and rigged” under the interim government led by Mohammad Yunus, which has banned the Awami League from participation.
At a virtual press conference organized by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia and the International Association of Press Clubs in New Delhi, Arafat called on India and other nations to ensure Bangladeshi voices are heard and democracy restored.
An audio message from Sheikh Hasina released during the briefing condemned Yunus as a “murderous, corrupt, power hungry traitor” and outlined five steps to “heal” Bangladesh, including restoring democracy, ending street violence, protecting vulnerable groups, stopping politically motivated persecution of journalists and opposition members, and inviting the United Nations to conduct an impartial investigation into her ouster.
Hasina reiterated the need for international intervention to guarantee a free and fair election and the restoration of constitutional governance in Bangladesh.
