By Sajeeb Wazed
As Bangladesh approaches its pivotal national election and constitutional referendum on February 12, 2026, deep divisions continue to fracture the nation's political landscape. In a recent virtual address during a book discussion highlighting minority persecution and the resurgence of Islamist forces, Sajeeb Wazed (known as Joy), son of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and a senior figure in the banned Awami League, delivered a stark warning. He described the upcoming polls as a "sham" engineered by the interim government under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to sideline progressive voices, inflate turnout through manipulation, and pave the way for radical Islamists to dominate Bangladesh's future.
The speech, delivered amid heightened tensions just days before voting begins, echoes longstanding grievances from the Awami League camp. Wazed accused the Yunus-led administration of orchestrating a flawed electoral process that excludes the country's largest secular party and suppresses other progressive forces, effectively turning the contest into a lopsided race dominated by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami.
A "De Facto Ban" on Progressive Politics
Central to Wazed's critique is the exclusion of the Awami League from the February 12 polls. The party, which governed Bangladesh for 15 years until the 2024 student-led uprising forced Hasina into exile in India, was formally banned under the Anti-Terrorism Act in May 2025. This suspension bars it from contesting or campaigning, while its leaders face trials, including a death sentence in absentia against Hasina for her alleged role in the crackdown on 2024 protests that claimed over 1,400 lives according to UN estimates.
Wazed argued that this ban extends in practice to other progressive parties. He pointed to incidents such as the burning of Jatiya Party offices and the imprisonment or intimidation of its leaders, claiming the environment creates a climate of fear where supporters dare not openly declare allegiance to secular or Awami League-aligned candidates. Independent polls cited by Wazed suggest the Awami League retains significant underground support, around 11% in surveys, despite repression, while undecided voters (15-20%) remain silent due to threats.
Without these voices, he warned, the election risks empowering Jamaat-e-Islami, an Islamist party historically limited to 5-10% national vote share but now poised for outsized gains in a fragmented field. Wazed dismissed notions of a "moderate" Jamaat, insisting its charter explicitly seeks an Islamic state governed by Sharia law. He referenced recent derogatory remarks by Jamaat leaders on women's issues and the party's long-term goal of undoing secular gains.
Allegations of Rigging and Inflated Turnout
Wazed leveled serious accusations of premeditated electoral manipulation. For the first time in Bangladesh's history, postal ballots have been introduced for expatriate voters,a mechanism he claimed lacks transparency and invites abuse. Videos circulating online purportedly show pre-filled ballots from Middle Eastern countries favoring Jamaat and a "yes" vote on the referendum, allegedly handled by coordinated groups.
He predicted artificially high voter turnout as a legitimizing tool for a rigged outcome, achieved through ballot stuffing via postal channels (beyond journalist or observer scrutiny) and intimidation at polling stations to force votes against voters' will. The Election Commission has denied widespread irregularities in postal processes, stating no evidence supports claims amid concerns raised by both BNP and Jamaat figures.
The Role of External Powers and a "Puppet" Government
Wazed alleged foreign interference, particularly by the United States, in engineering a weak coalition government. He claimed the U.S. State Department favors a referendum on the July Charter, proposing reforms like proportional representation, term limits for the prime minister, and judicial independence, to fragment power and prevent strict single-party rule.
He accused the U.S. of leveraging corruption charges against BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman (convicted with FBI-provided evidence) to pressure the party into reversing its opposition and endorsing the referendum. This, Wazed argued, would install a controllable prime minister vulnerable to U.S. extradition threats, ensuring compliance with foreign interests.
Security Risks for Minorities and the Region
Wazed painted a grim picture of post-election Bangladesh: a weak, foreign-influenced government granting free rein to Jamaat-e-Islami and external actors like Pakistan. He warned of renewed minority persecution, Hindus, Christians, Buddhists, and others, already surging since August 2024, with attacks on temples, forced conversions, and lynchings reported by human rights groups. The Yunus administration has denied systemic religious targeting and emphasized investigations into incidents.
Regionally, he highlighted alarming implications for India, arguing that Islamist empowerment could reopen Bangladesh's eastern border to insurgency, terrorism, and Pakistani influence, reversing the relative stability during the Awami League's 17-year tenure, when Bangladesh was largely free of major terrorist incidents and border threats were minimized.
A Call for International Intervention
In his impassioned plea, Wazed urged the international community, including the United States, the United Nations, and regional powers, to denounce the February 12 polls in advance as neither free nor fair. He emphasized that legitimizing the process would entrench a "state-managed" government, risking years of instability, radicalization, and minority exodus.
"The Awami League will not disappear," he asserted. "It remains a symbol of progressiveness and the spirit of liberation for tens of millions." Yet he cautioned that without urgent external pressure, Bangladesh faces 5-10 years or more of Islamist dominance, terrorism resurgence, and eroded secular foundations.
As polling day nears, Bangladesh stands at a crossroads. The Yunus government's defenders portray the election and referendum as a democratic reset after authoritarian rule, with reforms aimed at preventing future autocracy. Critics like Wazed see instead a manipulated transition that could empower extremists and undermine the very freedoms the 2024 uprising sought to restore.
With just days remaining, the world watches to see whether Bangladesh's first post-uprising vote will heal divisions or deepen them.