'There's no point in voting': Sheikh Hasina's son appeals for Bangladesh elections boycott, says this on postal ballots

Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the son of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, urged voters, especially youngsters, to boycott the polls taking place on Thursday. Voting for 350 seats in Bangladesh's Jatiya Sangsad is currently underway. 

It is the first national election in Bangladesh since Sheikh Hasina was ousted in August 2024 following a student uprising. 

In an interview with India Today, he claimed that the outcome of the elections is already decided. "There's no point in voting. The outcome of these elections is completely predetermined," he said. 

He added that a boycott is the only way to make a statement in today's Bangladesh. "If you boycott, that is the only way to show that you reject this process."

Alleging large-scale rigging, he said that postal ballots were introduced to make it easier for parties and other elements to manipulate the process. He added that videos of ballots being stamped before polling day also did the rounds on social media. 

"The election commission has already announced they expect turnout to be 55 per cent. That clearly is their target," he said. "It's a massive rigging campaign."

Furthermore, he sought international attention on democracy in Bangladesh. Joy said emphatically, "We don't need support for the Awami League. We need support for legitimacy. We need support for democracy." 

He said that international pressure, including sanctions, is the only way to restore democratic balance. "Unless international countries recognise that these elections are a sham and speak out against them, this situation will continue." 

He also mentioned that he spoke to Sheikh Hasina about the vote, adding she is very disappointed. "She was hoping for a truly free and fair election. We don't have anything close to that." 

Joy further stated that her main concern is the rise of extremist forces, adding that the Awami League was strict on terrorism. "Her main concern is the rise of terror. Our government was strict on terrorism. We cracked down and stopped terrorist activity. That is now at risk."

Bangladesh election details, results 

Voting ends at 4:30 pm, with official results expected this Friday. Voters will cast their ballots across 42,766 polling stations nationwide.

While the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) is the current front-runner, it faces a strong challenge from an alliance between Jamaat-e-Islami and the student-led National Citizen Party. In total, 51 parties and 2,000 candidates are in the running.

The winner of this election will take over from the interim government currently led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.