'Carefully Orchestrated Sham': Sheikh Hasina Demands Annulation Of Bangladesh Elections

Dhaka: Bangladesh's ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has called for the annulation of the recently-concluded Bangladesh elections, which she called a "numerical fraud" and a "sham election" orchestrated under the "illegal" administration of Muhammad Yunus. She alleged mass irregularities, including low voter turnout, vote-buying, and bogus voting. Hasina claimed the election was disgraceful, with no voters at polling stations but votes counted.

Hasina demanded the cancellation of the election, Yunus's resignation, withdrawal of false cases, release of political prisoners, and restoration of voting rights. She pointed to an abnormal surge in voter turnout, from 14.96% at 11 am to 32.88% by noon, as evidence of electoral manipulation. Earlier, Sheikh Hasina warned of a mass voter boycott after her party, ‘The Awami League’, was banned from participating in the election.

'Disgraceful Chapter In History'

Sheikh Hasina said that on 12 February, Bangladesh witnessed a pre-planned election of deception and farce, one that will be recorded as a "disgraceful chapter" in Bangladesh's democratic history. She added, “This was not an election of public will; it was an industrial-scale administrative exercise in manipulating numbers…Serious irregularities were observed, both in the conduct of voting and in the turnout percentages released in stages by the Election Commission, many of which appeared inconsistent and unrealistic.”

She further noted, “Voting began at 7:30 a.m…According to the Commission's first briefing, by 11:00 am the first 3 hours and 30 minutes-14.96% of votes had been cast, equivalent to 19,105,684 ballots. That would mean an average of 90,979 votes per minute. In the next briefing, turnout by 12:00 noon was announced as 32.88%. That means between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon alone, 17.92% of votes were cast, 22,880,350 ballots, an average of roughly 381,339 votes per minute. This rate is several times higher than the earlier average and is highly abnormal.”

Pointing at an “abnormal surge” in the number of voters in a single hour, Hasina said, “Anyone familiar with Bangladesh's voting history knows that turnout typically moves fastest in the morning, especially before 11 a.m. Yet only 14.96% turnout was recorded during that period, followed by a sudden leap to 32.88% by noon an abnormal surge within a single hour.”

‘No Voters, Yet Votes Counted’

Sheikh Hasina also alleged that the overall vote count presented by the Election Commission does not match the reality reported across the country. She said, "There were no voters at the polling stations, yet there were votes on the counting tables!"

She called the claim of 60% voter turnout "unrealistic". Hasina also questioned why the referendum results were released almost five hours after the election results. This delay, combined with numerical inconsistencies in participation, has created a clear perception of vote rigging among the public, Hasina claimed, questioning, "The delay in publishing referendum results raises a crucial question: did the Election Commission process the data, or did it adjust the data to fit a predetermined process?"

Stressing that results declared through a controversial process can never bring stability to a country, Hasina said this election did not pave the way for restoring democracy, rather, it deepened public distrust, skepticism and political uncertainty.

'Fake Voting, Polling Booth Seizures'

The former Prime Minister also claimed that the election day was marred by clashes, crude bomb explosions, vote buying, centre seizures, ballot snatching, coercion to vote for specific symbols, fake voting and counting irregularities

"In several centres, presiding officers signed result sheets before voting even began. Many voters who went to cast their ballots found that their votes had already been cast. In some places, groups of four or five women were seen stamping ballots together inside private rooms; in others, men were doing so. Hundreds of pre-stamped ballots were recovered. Some centres had multiple polling agents representing the same candidate. Attempts were made the previous night to prepare result sheets and collect polling agents' signatures in advance," Sheikh Hasina claimed.

'Annul This Voterless Election'

Accusing the "illegal" interim government of Muhammad Yunus of manipulating turnout figures, Hasina said, "Under this illegal Yunus administration, this rigged and one-sided election has robbed people of their voting rights. Therefore, the demand of Bangladesh's 180 million people today is to annul this voterless, illegal, and unconstitutional election; ensure the resignation of the murderous fascist Yunus; withdraw false cases and release all political prisoners, teachers, journalists, intellectuals, and professionals; lift the suspension imposed on the Awami League's activities; and restore the people's voting rights by holding a free, fair, and participatory election under a neutral caretaker government."

Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) secured a sweeping victory in the 13th National Parliament election. The BNP alone won 209 seats, securing an absolute majority and the mandate to form the next government. BNP and its allies together secured 212 seats. The outcome marks the end of the dominance of Sheikh Hasina's Bangladesh Awami League, which was barred from contesting in the recently-concluded elections.

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