By Krishna N. Das

Item 1 of 2 Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reviews an honour guard at the Government House, during her visit to Thailand, in Bangkok, Thailand, April 26, 2024. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo

[1/2] Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reviews an honour guard at the Government House, during her visit to Thailand, in Bangkok, Thailand, April 26, 2024. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab

Hasina’s son says ‘they’ll probably sentence her to death’

NEW DELHI, Nov 16 (Reuters) – The son and adviser of ousted Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said on Sunday that supporters of her Awami League would block February’s national election if a ban on the party was not lifted, warning that protests could escalate into violence.

Sajeeb Wazed’s remarks to Reuters came a day before a Dhaka court was due to deliver a televised verdict that is expected to convict Hasina, 78, in absentia on charges of crimes against humanity for a deadly crackdown on student-led protests in 2024. She denies wrongdoing and says the case is politically motivated.

A United Nations report estimated that up to 1,400 people were killed and thousands wounded — most by gunfire from security forces — during anti-government demonstrations between July 15 and August 5 last year, the worst political violence in Bangladesh since its 1971 independence war.

Home to more than 170 million people, Bangladesh is one of the world’s largest garment exporters, supplying major global brands. The industry was hit hard by last year’s protests.

‘WILL PROBABLY SENTENCE HER TO DEATH’

Hasina has lived in exile in New Delhi since fleeing Bangladesh in August 2024. Wazed said India was providing her full security and treating her “like a head of state”.

“We know exactly what the verdict is going to be. They’re televising it. They’re going to convict her, and they’ll probably sentence her to death,” said Wazed, who lives in Washington, D.C. “What can they do to my mother? My mother is safe in India. India is giving her full security.”

A spokesperson for the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, which took over after Hasina’s 15 straight years in power ended, denied the trial was politically motivated, saying the court “functioned transparently, allowing observers and publishing regular documentation”.

Hasina told Reuters in October that she could move freely in Delhi, though she remained cautious because of security. Her parents and three brothers were killed in a 1975 military coup while she and her sister were abroad.

She said a guilty verdict from the International Crimes Tribunal, Bangladesh’s domestic war crimes court, was a “foregone conclusion” because the “proceedings were a politically motivated charade”.

Wazed, widely known in Bangladesh by his nickname Joy, said they would not appeal unless a democratically elected government took office with the Awami League’s participation.

The party’s registration was suspended in May after the interim government banned its political activities, citing national security threats and war crime investigations into senior party leaders.

“We will not allow elections without the Awami League to go ahead,” he said. “Our protests are going to get stronger and stronger, and we will do whatever it takes. Unless the international community does something, eventually there’s probably going to be violence in Bangladesh before these elections … there’s going to be confrontations.”

The government spokesperson said there were no plans to lift the ban on the Awami League.

“The interim government regards any incitement to violence —especially by exiled political figures — as deeply irresponsible and reprehensible,” said the spokesperson.

“At present, there is no dialogue space for Awami League as it continues to refuse to express any remorse for crimes against humanity committed under its rule and to accept the accountability process, including under the International Crimes Tribunal.”

MULTIPLE CRUDE BOMBS EXPLODE IN DHAKA

Political violence has surged in Dhaka ahead of the verdict, with several crude bombs exploding on Sunday and 32 blasts reported on November 12 alone, along with dozens of buses torched. Police have detained Awami League activists over alleged sabotage.

Authorities have tightened security, deploying more than 400 Border Guards, reinforcing checkpoints, and restricting public gatherings.

“The government’s priority is de-escalation and protection of life and property,” said the government spokesperson.

Wazed said he and Hasina were in touch with party activists in Bangladesh, but not with the interim government or the rival Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which is widely expected to lead the next government.

“You’re seeing in the last few days shutdowns across the country, massive protests throughout the country, and they’re only going to get bigger,” he said.

Hasina, credited with transforming Bangladesh’s economy but accused of rights abuses and crushing dissent, secured a fourth consecutive term in an election boycotted by the main opposition in 2024, after many of its leaders were jailed or fled abroad.

Now, the tables have turned. “She’s upset, angry, outraged,” Wazed said. “And we are all determined to fight back by whatever means necessary.”

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