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In a pre-recorded audio message played at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club (FCC) of South Asia in New Delhi on January 23, 2026, former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina launched her most significant offensive against the current interim administration. Her address, coming just weeks before the scheduled February 12 general elections, categorized the current state of Bangladesh as an “age of terror” and a “valley of death.”
Explosive Allegations of Human Rights Abuses
Sheikh Hasina leveled grave accusations against the interim government, specifically citing widespread torture and sexual assault against women and girls. She asserted that under the leadership of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, democracy has been driven into “exile” and human rights have been “trampled into the dust.”
“Violence, torture, and sexual assault against women and girls remain unchecked,” Hasina stated, while also highlighting the “continuous persecution” of religious minorities and the total collapse of law and order.
The Targeting of Muhammad Yunus
A central pillar of her address was a direct, personal attack on Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. Hasina labeled him a “murderous fascist,” “usurer,” and “power-hungry traitor.” She claimed his administration is a “foreign-serving puppet regime” that seized power through a “meticulously engineered conspiracy” in August 2024.
She further argued that free and fair elections are a “mockery” as long as the “Yunus clique” remains in power, especially given that the Awami League has been barred from participating in the upcoming polls.
The “No Boat, No Vote” Sentiment and Calls for Boycott
The address touched upon the growing frustration within the Awami League, exemplified by the “No Boat, No Vote” sentiment. Since the “Boat” (the Awami League’s iconic election symbol) is absent from the ballots, the party and its supporters have termed the upcoming February 12 elections “illegal” and “one-sided.” Hasina’s rhetoric has effectively galvanized a movement to boycott the polls, calling on the “brave sons and daughters of Bangladesh” to rise up and reclaim their sovereignty.
A Five-Point Demand for Reform
Hasina outlined five specific demands to “heal” the nation:
- Removal of the “illegal” Yunus administration.
- Immediate cessation of street violence and lawlessness.
- Ironclad guarantees for the safety of minorities, women, and the most vulnerable.
- An end to “lawfare”—the use of politically motivated legal cases to silence journalists and Awami League members.
A UN-led impartial investigation into the events surrounding her ouster and the subsequent year of interim rule.
