“Sheikh Hasina Says She’s Living Freely in Delhi but Hopes to Return Home Soon”

Ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that millions of her party’s supporters will boycott next year’s national election after her party, the Awami League, was banned from contesting. Speaking to Reuters from her exile in New Delhi, Hasina said she would not return to Bangladesh under any government formed without her party’s participation.

Awami League Supporters to Boycott the 2025 Election

The 78-year-old leader fled to India in August 2024 following a deadly student-led uprising that forced her from power after ruling Bangladesh for 15 consecutive years. Since then, the country has been under an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, which plans to hold national elections in February 2025.

“The ban on the Awami League is not only unjust, it is self-defeating,” Hasina said in her emailed interview, marking her first public statement since being ousted. “Millions of people support the Awami League, and if they are denied a vote, the election cannot be legitimate.”

She added that excluding her party from the political process would undermine democracy in Bangladesh. “You cannot disenfranchise millions of people and still expect a political system that works,” she said.

Hasina Still Hopes Awami League Will Be Allowed to Contest

Bangladesh has over 126 million registered voters. The Awami League and its main rival, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), have long dominated national politics. With the Awami League barred from the polls, the BNP is expected to win easily.

The Election Commission suspended the Awami League’s registration in May 2024, and soon after, the Yunus-led interim government banned all political activities. Officials cited national security threats and ongoing investigations into alleged war crimes by senior Awami League leaders.

Hasina, however, said her party would not urge supporters to vote for others. “We still hope that reason will prevail and that the Awami League will be allowed to contest the election,” she said.

She did not confirm whether she or her aides were in talks with Bangladeshi authorities about lifting the ban. Meanwhile, representatives of Muhammad Yunus did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

Former Leader Faces War Crimes Charges

Hasina is credited with transforming Bangladesh’s economy during her tenure, but critics accuse her of human rights violations and suppressing dissent. She had won a fourth consecutive term in 2024, though that election was boycotted by the opposition, whose key leaders were either jailed or in exile.

She now faces charges of crimes against humanity before the International Crimes Tribunal, a domestic court that has completed proceedings against her. The charges relate to the violent crackdown on student protests between July and August 2024.

ALSO READ- Why Paresh Rawal’s Taj Has Unusually Angered Both the Right and the Left

According to a United Nations report, around 1,400 people were killed and thousands more injured during the unrest — the worst in Bangladesh since its 1971 independence war. Prosecutors allege that Hasina oversaw the use of enforced disappearances and torture through secret detention centers.

A verdict in her case is expected on November 13.

Hasina has denied all accusations, calling the case “a politically motivated charade.” She claimed she was denied due process, saying, “These are kangaroo courts with predetermined outcomes. I was not given any real opportunity to defend myself.”

‘I Would Love to Return Home Someday’

Despite the turmoil, Hasina believes her party will eventually return to Bangladesh’s political scene — either in government or as the opposition. She said that the Awami League’s future does not depend on her family.

“It’s not about me or my family,” she said. “Bangladesh’s progress depends on restoring constitutional rule and political stability.”

Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed, based in Washington, earlier told Reuters he might consider leading the party if asked.

Hasina also reflected on her personal history — her father and three brothers were killed in a 1975 military coup while she and her sister were abroad. She said she feels safe in Delhi but remains cautious given her family’s past.

Recently, she was spotted taking a quiet walk in Delhi’s Lodhi Garden, with a small security team accompanying her. “I live freely here,” Hasina said. “But of course, I would love to go home — if the government there is legitimate and law and order truly prevail.”

Her departure from Bangladesh triggered violence against Awami League supporters, though the country has since been relatively calm. However, tensions flared earlier this month during the signing of a state reform charter, showing that political instability continues to shadow the nation.