An inclusive election can only stabilise Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed

He asked the government to lift the ban on his Awami League, which was imposed months after Hasina was forced to exit the country amid violent protests against the government last year.

“This ban has to be lifted, the elections have to be inclusive and free and fair,” Wazed, who was a former adviser to the government headed by her mother, told Associated Press.

“What is happening now really is an attempt to keep my mother and our political leaders from running in elections. This is political manipulation disguised as justice,” he said.

Bangladesh is expected to hold a fresh election in February 2026, marking the first poll since the exit of the Hasina regime after 15 years of rule.

“We are not allowed to conduct any election preparation. So even if the ban is lifted at the last minute, the elections will be a sham,”  Sajeeb Wazed said.

Meanwhile, six international human rights organisations have urged Bangladesh’s interim government to lift the ban on the ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League party, media reports said.

The groups — CIVICUS, Committee to Protect Journalists, Fortify Rights, Human Rights Watch, Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, and Tech Global Institute — sent a joint letter to interim government chief Muhammad Yunus, calling for the prevention of further human rights violations in the country.

Earlier this year, the Bangladesh Election Commission suspended the registration of Hasina’s Awami League, effectively barring the party from contesting the next general elections.

The interim government, which assumed power following Hasina’s exit amid nationwide protests over the anti-job quota issue, had imposed the ban under the Anti-Terrorism Act. All activities of the party remain suspended until the International Crimes Tribunal completes its trial of party leaders.