Bangladesh Crisis Deepens: Sheikh Hasina's Son Warns of Election Disruption Ahead of Court Verdict

Ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (File)

The son and adviser of ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced on Sunday that Awami League supporters would prevent February's national election if authorities did not lift the ban on the party, cautioning that protests might escalate into violence.

Sajeeb Wazed's interview with Reuters occurred just one day before a Dhaka court was scheduled to deliver a televised verdict expected to find Hasina, 78, guilty in absentia of crimes against humanity for a deadly crackdown on student-led demonstrations in 2024. She maintains her innocence and claims the case is politically motivated.

According to a United Nations report, approximately 1,400 people lost their lives and thousands suffered injuries—most from security forces' gunfire—during anti-government protests between July 15 and August 5 last year, marking Bangladesh's worst political violence since its 1971 independence war.

Bangladesh, home to more than 170 million citizens, ranks among the world's leading garment exporters, supplying major global brands. The industry suffered significant disruption during last year's protests.

"We know exactly what the verdict will be. They're televising it. They're going to convict her, and they'll probably sentence her to death," stated Wazed, who resides in Washington, DC. "What can they do to my mother? My mother is safe in India. India is giving her full security and treating her like a head of state."

Representatives for Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who has been leading an interim government since Hasina's 15-year tenure ended, did not immediately respond to comment requests late Sunday.

Hasina has lived in exile in New Delhi since fleeing Bangladesh in August 2024. She told Reuters in October that she could move freely in Delhi, though she remained cautious due to security concerns. Her parents and three brothers were assassinated in a 1975 military coup while she and her sister were abroad.

She described a guilty verdict from the International Crimes Tribunal, Bangladesh's domestic war crimes court, as a "foregone conclusion" because the "proceedings were a politically motivated charade."

Wazed, commonly known in Bangladesh by his nickname Joy, indicated they would not appeal unless a democratically elected government took office with the Awami League's participation.

The party's registration was suspended in May after the interim government banned its political activities, citing national security threats and war crime investigations involving senior party leaders.

"We will not allow elections without the Awami League to go ahead," he declared. "Our protests are going to get stronger and stronger, and we will do whatever it takes. Unless the international community does something, eventually there's probably going to be violence in Bangladesh before these elections... there's going to be confrontations."

Political violence has intensified in Dhaka ahead of the verdict, with multiple crude bombs exploding on Sunday and 32 blasts reported on November 12 alone, alongside dozens of buses set ablaze. Police have detained Awami League activists over alleged sabotage.

Authorities have enhanced security measures, deploying over 400 Border Guards, strengthening checkpoints, and limiting public gatherings.

Wazed confirmed that he and Hasina maintain contact with party activists in Bangladesh but not with the interim government or the rival Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which is widely anticipated to lead the next government.

"You're seeing in the last few days shutdowns across the country, massive protests throughout the country, and they're only going to get bigger," he warned.

Hasina, recognized for transforming Bangladesh's economy but criticized for rights abuses and suppressing dissent, secured a fourth consecutive term in an election boycotted by the main opposition in 2024, after many opposition leaders were imprisoned or fled abroad.

Now, the situation has reversed. "She's upset, angry, outraged," Wazed stated. "And we are all determined to fight back by whatever means necessary."