As Bangladesh gears up for February 2026 polls, banned giant Awami League is sounding alarms, branding the event not a democratic exercise but a calculated ‘control system’ that sidelines the masses and boosts hardliners.
Their X manifesto is unequivocal: ‘Hyping this as democracy’s return? It’s a ploy to bar the people.’ With broad-based support from 60% of voters, the ban equates to disenfranchising the majority. ‘True democracies don’t outlaw top parties and feign credibility. They foster contests; tyrants erase foes.’
Under Hasina, no such prohibitions existed—proof of real pluralism. They clarify: Absenteeism stems from voluntary abstentions, not coercion, and this mix-up breeds catastrophe. ‘Oust the foremost democratic entity, and radicals rush in. Revanchist groups peddling corruption and crime get mainstreamed. This political maneuver invites extremism, not stability.’
Awami League beseeches international scrutiny: ‘Legitimize not this travesty. Polls without us are democratic self-destruction, rippling regionally.’ Following Hasina’s turbulent exit—exile, death penalty, 21-year sentence—their indictment spotlights Bangladesh’s precarious path. Can these elections unify, or will they entrench division? The global gaze intensifies.