Muhammad Yunus, the 2006 Nobel laureate and Chief Adviser of Bangladesh’s interim government, has warned that Bangladesh’s upcoming Feb 2026 general election is under threat from “many forces from inside and outside the country”
Yunus’ press secretary Shafiqul Alam quoted him as saying that “various types of propaganda such as AI-generated images and videos would also circulate online” and hence conducting the election would be “challenging”.
Curiously, Yunus’ comments came the same day an interview of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was published.
The interview with UK-based The Independent was Hasina’s first interaction with mainstream media since August 5 last year, when the violent student-led protests toppled her government. That day, Hasina fled to neighbouring India citing threats to her life and has been here ever since.
The Yunus-led interim government subsequently banned the Awami League under an executive order citing national security threats. Additionally, the Election Commission suspended the Awami League’s registration, disqualifying the party from contesting polls.
Furthermore, Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has accused her of crimes against humanity and is currently conducting the trial in absentia. This after she allegedly ordered the use of lethal force against student protesters, resulting in 1,400 deaths - something she denies in the interview.
Hasina told The Independent that she would “neither be surprised nor intimidated” if the ICT sentenced her to death. She believes her party is being unfairly denied the opportunity to contest the upcoming elections by the unelected interim government led by Yunus.
Hasina reiterated her commitment to “restoring democracy” in the country and said that “only free, fair, and inclusive elections can heal the country”.
