DHAKA: Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has questioned the decision to bar her party, the Awami League, from participating in elections, saying voters should be allowed to decide whether to accept or reject it.
“If the authorities believe the party has lost public support, they should allow it to contest elections and let the people decide,” she said.
“People have every right to criticise me or the Awami League. Parties can campaign against us. They can vote against us. That is their democratic right. But the same right must be given to us,” she added.
Hasina referred to the Awami League’s role in Bangladesh’s independence struggle and its history of surviving military rule, political bans and the imprisonment of its leaders. She said the party’s history could not be erased through a government order.
Hasina resigned as prime minister and left Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, following weeks of student-led protests that escalated into a nationwide uprising against her government. An interim government led by Muhammad Yunus took office on August 8, 2024.
In May 2025, the Yunus-led interim government banned the political activities of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations. Subsequently, the Election Commission suspended the party’s registration, preventing it from contesting elections.
The Awami League was excluded from the February 2026 general elections. Hasina’s latest remarks come as she continues to demand that the party be allowed to participate in the country’s electoral process.
(With inputs from media reports)