Bangladesh’s ban on Hasina’s party puts democracy to the test
Election experts, however, remain divided. Badiul Alam Majumdar, head of the government’s electoral reform commission, said the ban was justified, claiming the Awami League “brought it on themselves by engaging in criminal activities.”
Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s call to boycott Bangladesh’s upcoming elections has intensified political tensions after her Awami League party was barred from contesting the vote scheduled for February 2026.
The interim government’s executive order last May suspended the Awami League and its affiliates from political activity, effectively removing the dominant political force of the past decade from the electoral arena.
Hasina, who has lived in self-imposed exile in India since last year’s student-led uprising, denounced the ban in her first interview since fleeing Dhaka.
She described it as “unjust and self-defeating,” warning that millions of her supporters would refuse to participate in the polls. The move follows years of accusations that Hasina’s government manipulated elections and suppressed opposition parties.
Ironically, the Awami League now finds itself on the receiving end of exclusion, as the interim authorities pursue trials against its leaders for alleged crimes committed during last year’s crackdown, reports dw.com
A United Nations report estimates that up to 1,400 people were killed and thousands injured during the violent clashes between protesters and security forces in mid-2024. The unrest ultimately led to Hasina’s ouster after 15 years in power.
She now faces charges of crimes against humanity, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty. A verdict is expected on November 13. Hasina insists the trial is politically motivated and that the outcome is “preordained.”
Interim government officials, led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, have dismissed Hasina’s boycott appeal. “There is no Awami League anymore,” said press secretary Shafiqul Alam. “They only stage small processions—nothing more.”
However, analysts warn that excluding the Awami League, which has historically commanded millions of loyal voters, could undermine the credibility of the elections. Even during its weakest showing in 2001, the party secured over 22 million votes.
Political analyst Masood Kamal argues that punishing a political party through executive action sets a dangerous precedent. “The people—not the government—should decide a party’s fate,” he said. “The greatest punishment a party can face is through the ballot box.”
Election experts, however, remain divided. Badiul Alam Majumdar, head of the government’s electoral reform commission, said the ban was justified, claiming the Awami League “brought it on themselves by engaging in criminal activities.”
As the election approaches, Bangladesh’s 126 million registered voters—including millions of first-time voters from Generation Z—are expected to play a decisive role. Many young people were central to the protests that toppled Hasina’s administration.
Meanwhile, smaller parties are expressing fears of a widening political purge. The Jatiya Party, often accused of legitimizing flawed elections in the past, has been sidelined from reform talks, raising concerns about shrinking political space.
Shamim Haider Patwary, the Jatiya Party’s secretary-general, warned that “excluding major parties sends a clear message that pluralism no longer matters.” He predicted the 2026 election could become “a one-sided contest.”
Six international human rights organizations—including Human Rights Watch, CIVICUS, and the Committee to Protect Journalists—have urged the interim government to lift the ban on the Awami League, warning that it threatens to “disenfranchise a large part of the electorate.”
“The irony,” said journalist Masood Kamal, “is that this government was meant to unite the nation after years of authoritarian rule. Instead, it risks deepening the very divisions it promised to heal.”
