Sheikh Hasina's son issues BIG warning ahead of Bangladesh verdict, says India is giving her...

The son and advisor of former Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina warned on Sunday that her supporters will try to disrupt next February’s national election if the Awami League is banned. He also said that protests could become violent if the interim government does not change its approach.

Sajeeb Wazed made these comments in an interview with Reuters, one day before a Dhaka court was expected to announce a televised verdict that could sentence Hasina, 78, to death in absentia. The charges accuse her of crimes against humanity during a deadly crackdown on student protests in 2024. Hasina says the case is political and denies all accusations.

Last year’s protests were the worst political violence in Bangladesh since its 1971 independence war. A United Nations report says that between July 15 and August 5, up to 1,400 people were killed and thousands injured, mostly due to security forces firing on protesters. The unrest also badly damaged Bangladesh’s garment industry, which is important to the country’s economy.

Hasina says trial is unfair

Hasina has been living in exile in New Delhi since August 2024. Wazed said India is giving her full protection and treating her “like a head of state.” 

“We already know what the verdict will be,” Wazed said. “They will convict her, and they will probably sentence her to death. But my mother is safe in India.”

Representatives of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who leads the interim government after Hasina’s 15 years in power, did not respond to requests for comment.

Hasina told Reuters in October that although she is allowed to move around Delhi, she still feels unsafe. She noted that in 1975, while she and her sister were abroad, a military coup killed her parents and three brothers. She said the current tribunal process is biased and politically motivated, calling the verdict a “foregone conclusion.”

Wazed, known in Bangladesh as Joy, said they will not appeal the verdict unless the Awami League is allowed to take part in elections. The interim government banned the party’s political activities in May, citing national security and war-crimes investigations into senior members. The party’s registration was also suspended.

“We will not allow elections to happen without the Awami League,” Wazed said. “Our protests will grow stronger, and we will do whatever is necessary. If the international community does nothing, there will probably be violence before the elections.”

Security tightens as violence rises

Tensions in Dhaka have risen as the verdict approaches. On Sunday, several homemade bombs exploded in the capital. This followed a wave of political violence, including 32 bomb attacks on November 12 and dozens of buses being burned. Police have arrested some Awami League members on suspicion of sabotage.

To control the situation, authorities have deployed more than 400 Border Guards, strengthened checkpoints, and restricted public gatherings.

Wazed said he and Hasina are still communicating with Awami League members inside Bangladesh, but they are not speaking to the interim government or the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The BNP is expected to win the election if it goes ahead normally.

“In recent days, you have seen nationwide shutdowns and large protests,” Wazed said. “These protests will keep growing.”

In the 2024 election, boycotted by the main opposition after many of its leaders were jailed or exiled, Hasina won a fourth consecutive term. She is credited with major economic growth but is also accused of silencing critics and suppressing dissent.