‘Yunus trying to bring Islamists to power via rigged poll, threat to India is real’: Hasina’s son Sajeeb Wazed

In his first remarks ahead of Bangladesh’s proposed general elections in February next year amid a ban on the Awami League, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, son and adviser of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has accused the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in Dhaka of trying to bring Islamists to power through rigged elections. In an exclusive interview with the Indian Express, Wazed, who lives in the US, also warned that the situation in Bangladesh poses a heightened security threat to India. The Yunus-led government imposed a ban on Hasina’s Awami League that rules out the party’s participation in the February 2026 elections.

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‘Yunus govt allowing free rein to Islamic parties’

Wazed also alleged that the Yunus-led government is allowing a free rein to the Jamaat-e-Islami and other Islamic parties and is trying to ensure that they come to power through election manipulation.

He also called the growing proximity between Bangladesh and Pakistan a “matter of serious concern for India.” “Bangladesh is being pushed toward a failed Islamic state,” he said in the email interview, while adding that Mohammad Yunus is trying to bring Islamists to power via rigged polls.

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‘Awami League will be back sooner or later’

On the Awami League being banned from participating in the February general elections, Wazed said, “The party has always received about 40 per cent of the vote, almost half the population. We have hundreds of thousands of activists. You cannot wipe out the support of half the population through an order.”

“The Awami League is not going anywhere and will always be a major factor in Bangladesh. We have continued protests, and they will grow. The Awami League will be back sooner or later,” he told the Indian Express.

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He recalled that his mother, Sheikh Hasina, was drawn into politics after the assassination of her father and almost the entire family.

He also condemned the verdict against his mother and said it exposes the lack of democracy and rights under the Yunus regime.