Bangladesh’s interim government chief Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday raised alarm that forces both inside and outside the country may attempt to undermine the upcoming general election after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League was blocked from participating in polls.
“Many forces from inside and outside the country will work to spoil the election. Many powerful forces, not minor ones, will attempt to thwart it. Sudden attacks may come,” Yunus’s press secretary Shafiqul Alam quoted him as saying.
Speaking at a meeting, Yunus said the election will be “challenging” because a “planned campaign of propaganda” is expected from home and abroad. He emphasised that this would include the circulation of artificial intelligence-generated images and videos across social media and online platforms.
Hasina vows to ‘restore’ democracy
Former PM Hasina has vowed to restore democracy in her country, speaking publicly for the first time since her ouster last year. In interviews with several international media outlets, including the UK-based Independent, Hasina criticised the current situation in Bangladesh and warned that millions of her supporters would boycott the upcoming election.
The 78-year-old leader has been living in India since 5 August last year, when a violent student-led uprising forced her from power. Days later, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus returned from Paris to head an interim administration, claiming the students had chosen him for the role.
The Yunus government later banned all Awami League activities, citing national security concerns, and placed Hasina and senior party figures on trial in absentia before Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal. The Election Commission also revoked the Awami League’s registration, preventing it from contesting future polls.
Khaleda Zia’s BNP among frontrunners
In Hasina’s absence, the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by former premier Khaleda Zia has emerged as the frontrunner. Meanwhile, sporadic street marches by Awami League supporters in Dhaka have led to hundreds of arrests, including five junior leaders detained this week for unauthorised processions.
