Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has appealed to the Indian government to press Dhaka’s interim authorities to uphold democratic principles and ensure that millions of Bangladeshis are not denied their political rights, according to a Times of India report. Describing India as Bangladesh’s “most important ally,” Hasina said New Delhi would naturally want to engage with a government in Dhaka that has been “legitimised by a popular vote.”
Hasina has been living in India since her removal from office in August last year, and her political future now hinges on the verdict scheduled for Monday in a case before Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT). She is facing charges of crimes against humanity, allegations she has consistently rejected.
Sheikh Hasina Verdict to Shape Awami League’s Political Future in Bangladesh
The upcoming judgment is expected to determine whether the ban on her party, the Awami League, will remain in place ahead of the February elections. The party’s registration was previously revoked by the Election Commission, prohibiting it from contesting.
Hasina claimed the ICT was being used as a political weapon by her opponents to undermine the Awami League and divert public attention from what she called their “ongoing failures of governance.”
“India is our country’s most important ally and would understandably prefer to deal with a regime in Dhaka that was legitimized by a popular vote,” Hasina told The Times of India.
“So, I ask our friends in India to continue their call for Yunus (chief adviser) and his cronies to respect democratic norms and not to disenfranchise millions of Bangladeshis.”
Shiekh Hasina on Bangladesh Elections
Hasina criticised the current electoral conditions, arguing that meaningful democracy cannot exist if the country’s largest political force is excluded.
“An election can be neither free nor fair when millions of citizens are denied a vote, and where every Bangladeshi is denied a choice,” she said. “Yunus must allow the participation of all political parties, so that the victor in February enjoys the consent and trust of its people.”
She added that “there’s an irony that the only party which ensured free elections is now barred from participating.”
Sheikh Hasina Rejects Charges as “So-Called Evidence”
Hasina reiterated that the accusations against her are unfounded and would not withstand scrutiny in an impartial international court.
“I categorically deny all charges brought against me. No convincing evidence has been presented at the so-called International Crimes Tribunal, because none exists,” she said. According to her, audio recordings and transcript excerpts submitted to the ICT were “presented out of context and prove nothing.”
Sheikh Hasina Targets Muhammad Yunus
In a separate conversation with NDTV, the former prime minister broke her silence from what she described as a “secret shelter” in New Delhi. She launched a strong attack on the Muhammad Yunus–led interim administration, accusing it of steering Bangladesh toward authoritarian rule and allowing extremist influences to advance through alignments with terror groups.
Recounting the events surrounding her August 5 ouster, Hasina said her family’s historic home was destroyed and alleged that minorities and democratic institutions were subjected to a “state-sanctioned assault.”
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
