Former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday urged citizens to rise against the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus. Speaking from exile in India, she said the current government cannot conduct free and fair elections.
Bangladesh will hold general elections on February 12. However, authorities have barred Hasina’s party, the Awami League, from contesting the polls.
At the same time, Hasina appealed for calm across the country. She demanded an end to violence and disorder and called for strong protection for religious minorities, women, and vulnerable communities.
Hasina Delivers First Public Address From India
Hasina delivered her remarks through a pre-recorded audio message. Organisers played the recording at an event titled “Save democracy in Bangladesh” at the Foreign Correspondents Club.
She has lived in self-imposed exile in India since August 2024, when student-led protests forced her to flee Bangladesh.
Notably, her address came just one day after election campaigning began in Bangladesh, even though the Awami League remains excluded from the process.
Former PM Launches Direct Attack on Muhammad Yunus
During her speech, Hasina directly attacked interim chief Muhammad Yunus. She accused him of corruption and of conspiring to remove her government from power.
She said, “In this grave hour, the entire nation must rise united and galvanised by the spirit of our great Liberation War.”
She added, “To overthrow the foreign-serving puppet regime of this national enemy at any cost, the brave sons and daughters of Bangladesh must defend and restore the Constitution written in the blood of martyrs, reclaim our independence, safeguard our sovereignty, and revive our democracy.”
Awami League President Sheikh Hasina's message on the sham election which is being staged by the #YunusRegime in the name of #democracy. pic.twitter.com/UrpjpC6VG6
— Bangladesh Awami League (@albd1971) January 24, 2026
Hasina Invokes Liberation War Legacy
Next, Hasina highlighted the Awami League’s role in the 1971 Liberation War. She urged democratic, progressive, and non-communal forces to unite and build a welfare-based democratic state.
At the same time, she warned against what she described as the “treacherous designs of the murderous fascist and his collaborators”.
Awami League Chief Lists Five Key Demands
Hasina then outlined five demands on behalf of the Awami League. She called for the immediate removal of what she described as the “illegal Yunus administration”.
She said Bangladesh would “never experience free and fair elections until the shadow of the Yunus clique is lifted from the people”.
She also demanded an immediate stop to what she described as “daily acts of violence” and rising lawlessness. According to her, stability remains essential for economic recovery.
In addition, she called for an “ironclad guarantee ensuring the safety of religious minority groups, women and girls, and the most vulnerable in our society”.
Hasina Calls for End to Lawfare and Judicial Intimidation
Hasina accused the interim government of using legal action to silence dissent. She demanded an end to all “politically motivated acts of lawfare used to intimidate, silence and jail” journalists and political leaders.
She also called for steps to restore public confidence in the judiciary.
Former PM Urges United Nations to Intervene
Turning to the international community, Hasina urged the United Nations to step in. She said the UN should “conduct a new and truly impartial investigation into the events of the past year”.
She argued that such an inquiry would help reconciliation and healing while “rejecting the selfish pursuit of vengeance”.
Hasina Accuses Yunus of Enabling Extremism
Hasina intensified her criticism of Yunus, accusing him of failing to stop extremist and communal violence.
She said, “The murderous fascist Yunus, a usurer, a money launderer, a plunderer, and a corrupt, power-hungry traitor, has bled our nation dry with his all-consuming paradigms, staining the soul of our motherland.”
She also claimed that Bangladesh entered an “age of terror” after “Yunus and his anti-state militant accomplices” removed her government through a “meticulously engineered conspiracy” in August 2024. She provided no evidence for the allegation.
Hasina Says Democracy and Rights Have Collapsed
Hasina painted a grim picture of the current situation in Bangladesh.
She said, “Democracy is now in exile. Human rights have been trampled into the dust. Freedom of the press has been extinguished. Violence, torture, and sexual assault against women and girls remain unchecked.”
She added, “Religious minorities face continuous persecution. Law and order have collapsed.”
Awami League President Sheikh Hasina's message on the sham election which is being staged by the #YunusRegime in the name of #democracy. pic.twitter.com/UrpjpC6VG6
— Bangladesh Awami League (@albd1971) January 24, 2026
Election Outlook and Awami League’s Political Future
Observers view Hasina’s speech as an effort to keep the Awami League politically relevant ahead of the election. Analysts expect the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to dominate the polls, with the hardline Jamaat-e-Islami also gaining ground.
Although the Awami League still enjoys strong grassroots support, many of its senior leaders continue to live in exile in India and Europe.