The son of ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has warned that Awami League supporters will block February’s national election unless the ban on the party is lifted, issuing a series of remarks that analysts say amount to a political threat and a signal of escalating unrest.
“We will not allow elections without the Awami League to go ahead,” Sajeeb Wazed told Reuters in comments released Sunday. “Our protests are going to get stronger and stronger, and we will do whatever it takes.”
His statements came a day before Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal is expected to deliver a televised verdict that could convict Hasina in absentia on charges of crimes against humanity linked to last year’s deadly crackdown on student-led demonstrations. Wazed, who lives in Washington, said the verdict is “a foregone conclusion” and that his mother, now in exile in New Delhi, is prepared for a harsh ruling.
Political tensions rose sharply this month after a surge of crude bomb attacks and arson incidents in Dhaka, with police arresting Awami League activists over alleged sabotage. Authorities have deployed Border Guards, reinforced checkpoints and restricted public gatherings ahead of the verdict.
Wazed denied directing violence but acknowledged close coordination with Awami League networks. “You’re seeing shutdowns across the country, massive protests throughout the country, and they’re only going to get bigger,” he said. He added that he and Hasina were “in touch with party activists” in Bangladesh, though not with the interim government or rival parties.
Analysts say the rhetoric marks a strategic attempt to frame any future disorder as the responsibility of the interim government, while signaling to supporters that confrontation may be justified if the ban remains in place. Wazed’s warning that the opposition will resist “by whatever means necessary” underscores fears that Bangladesh is entering a volatile period in which political grievances, court proceedings and street-level unrest may converge ahead of the February vote.