Former PM Sheikh Hasina calls 2026 election ban illegitimate, citing violence and eroded stability.

Former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has denounced the ban on her Awami League from the February 2026 national elections, calling the vote a "coronation" lacking legitimacy. She argued the exclusion disenfranchises millions and weakens the government’s moral authority, blaming the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus for rising violence, including the killing of student leader Osman Hadi. Hasina accused the interim government of undermining national stability and damaging ties with India. The elections will be held alongside a referendum on the 'July Charter,' a proposed reform to limit executive power. Main contenders include the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami, and the newly formed National Citizens Party, emerging from the 2024 student-led uprising. Tensions and unrest persist across the country.