Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the son and adviser of Bangladesh’s exiled Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, issued a stark warning on Sunday, saying that supporters of the Awami League would block next February’s national election if the ban on the party is not lifted. He cautioned that protests could escalate into violence, putting the country’s political stability at risk.
His remarks came just one day before a Dhaka court is due to deliver a televised verdict widely expected to find Hasina — now 78 — guilty in absentia on charges of crimes against humanity stemming from the deadly 2024 student-led protests. Hasina, who fled Bangladesh in August 2024 and has lived in exile in New Delhi since, has repeatedly denied all charges, calling the case politically motivated.
“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,” Wazed said. “What can they do to my mother? My mother is safe in India. India is giving her full security and treating her like a head of state.”
Wazed, widely known in Bangladesh by his nickname Joy, spoke from Washington, D.C., saying the Awami League would not appeal the conviction unless elections were held under a democratically elected government in which the party could participate.
The Awami League’s registration was suspended in May after the interim government cited national security concerns and launched war crimes investigations against senior party leaders. Its political activities were formally banned soon after, leaving the country’s most electorally dominant party locked out ahead of the upcoming polls.
“We will not allow elections without the Awami League to go ahead,” Wazed declared. “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.”
A spokesperson for the interim government dismissed Wazed’s warning, saying there were no plans to lift the ban.
“The interim government regards any incitement to violence — especially by exiled political figures — as deeply irresponsible and reprehensible,” the spokesperson said. “At present, there is no dialogue space for the Awami League as it continues to refuse to express remorse for crimes against humanity committed under its rule and to accept accountability, including under the International Crimes Tribunal.”
