Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, now living in undisclosed exile in New Delhi, has spoken publicly for the first time since the Awami League was banned and an unelected interim administration took control in Dhaka. In an exclusive conversation with India Today Global, Hasina described the current political situation as a grave assault on Bangladesh’s democratic foundations and warned that any national election held without her party would lack legitimacy. From her guarded location in India, the four-time Prime Minister offered a stark assessment of a country she says is being pushed toward authoritarianism and extremist influence.
Hasina insisted that Bangladesh cannot hold a valid or credible election while its largest and most historic political party is barred. She argued that the interim authority’s electoral framework is unconstitutional and deliberately engineered to exclude millions of Awami League supporters from participating in the democratic process. The ban, she said, disenfranchises a vast segment of the public and will produce an administration that has no mandate from the people.
Speaking about her exile, Hasina said her commitment to Bangladesh remains unchanged and that she intends to return only when democracy is restored and all political parties, including the Awami League, are allowed to contest freely. She emphasised that her return is not tied to personal ambition but to the restoration of pluralistic politics, institutional accountability, and citizens’ rights. For her, a credible election is the only path back to political stability and economic progress.
Reflecting on her 15 years in government, Hasina offered rare self-criticism. She acknowledged that her administration could have responded more decisively to public dissatisfaction over job quotas and that an independent inquiry ordered after the first protest-related casualties could not be completed before being dismantled by the new regime. However, she defended her record, pointing to major infrastructure projects, sustained economic expansion, and social development programmes that helped lift millions out of poverty. She dismissed criticisms from the current leadership as politically motivated attempts to undermine what she described as one of Bangladesh’s most successful periods of growth.
Hasina also expressed deep concern about what she sees as Bangladesh’s accelerating radicalisation. She warned that arbitrary detentions, political repression, media control, and attacks on minorities represent a dangerous shift away from the secular, democratic ideals that shaped the nation’s founding. According to her, extremist groups have gained influence under the present administration and are systematically weakening institutional checks and balances.
Regarding Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, the head of the interim regime, Hasina was sharply critical. She accused him of dismantling democratic governance, relying on extremist backing and suppressing dissent while presenting a liberal façade to Western allies. She argued that his years abroad and support from international elites have obscured the authoritarian methods she believes he is now employing in Bangladesh.
Hasina warned that Pakistan-linked militant groups are once again gaining footholds in Bangladesh, describing the trend as a direct threat to regional security. She recalled her government’s long-standing counterterrorism cooperation with India and said the current environment created by what she calls an extremist-aligned administration has emboldened these networks. She urged New Delhi to continue advocating for democratic restoration in Bangladesh, arguing that free and inclusive elections are essential to stabilising the country and protecting shared regional interests.
