Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has condemned the country’s latest national election as a “rigged exercise” orchestrated by Muhammad Yunus, calling for the polls to be canceled and demanding Yunus step down.

In an official statement, Hasina called for “the annulment of this illegal, voterless election; the resignation of Muhammad Yunus; the withdrawal of fabricated cases; the release of political prisoners, teachers, journalists, and professionals; lifting the suspension on Awami League activities; and the restoration of citizens’ voting rights through a free and impartial election managed by a neutral caretaker government.”

Hasina expressed gratitude to citizens at all levels, including women and minority communities, for rejecting what she described as a manipulated electoral process. She accused Yunus of seizing power unlawfully and said the election was “a premeditated farce that ignored the people’s constitutional and democratic rights, leaving voters and the Awami League sidelined.”

According to Hasina, electoral violations began on the evening of 11 February, with reports of polling stations being taken over, incidents of gunfire, widespread vote-buying, tampering with ballots, and officials signing result sheets without proper oversight. On 12 February, she claimed, most polling centers saw extremely low turnout, with many locations in Dhaka and other cities nearly empty.

She cited data from the Election Commission showing a turnout of just 14.96% by 11 am, three and a half hours into voting, arguing that this demonstrates a clear public boycott of the polls in the absence of the Awami League.

Hasina further accused authorities of targeting Awami League supporters, voters, and minority groups in the days leading up to the election, subjecting them to intimidation, arrests, and coercion aimed at forcing them to vote. Despite these measures, she said, the population largely refrained from participating, leaving many polling stations devoid of voters.

She also questioned the credibility of the voter rolls, pointing out unusually high voter registration numbers in Dhaka that she described as suspicious and implausible.