Oct 30, Kathmandu - Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said her party, the Awami League, is set to boycott next year's general elections. Hasina fled to India after being ousted from power in August 2024. She made the remarks in her first interview with the media while in exile, the Indian media reported.

Hasina said she would not return to Bangladesh immediately. In an interview with the news agency Reuters, she said, “I will not return to Bangladesh as long as the current government is in power. Because my party has been excluded from the elections.”

In May this year, the Bangladesh Election Commission suspended the registration of the Awami League. For this reason, the party will not be able to participate in the next elections. The interim government accuses the Awami League of being a threat to the country’s security. The head of the interim government, Muhammad Yunus, has banned all activities of the Awami League.

Hasina's Awami League and Khaleda Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) are the two most prominent parties in the country. These two parties have dominated Bangladeshi politics. Sometimes one party, sometimes the other, comes to power. Analysts believe that the BNP has a strong chance of winning the election now that the Awami League is out of the picture. However, the popularity of the country's main Islamist party, 'Jamaat-e-Islami', is growing.

Hasina is hopeful that her party will be allowed to participate in the elections. "We will not ask Awami League supporters to support other parties," she said. "We are hopeful that the government will understand and allow us to participate in the elections."

Hasina has not commented on whether or not her party is in behind-the-scenes talks with the Bangladesh government. Her trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has concluded. The verdict is due on November 13. Hasina denies the charges against her. She says the action is politically motivated. She says she has not been given a chance to defend herself.

In addition to Reuters, Hasina also gave a written interview to the news agency AFP. She said that holding the election without the Awami League would sow more division in the country. Questioning the election process, former Prime Minister Hasina said, "An election without the direct participation of all major parties, including the Awami League, cannot be credible."