‘Election of deception and farce’: Sheikh Hasina blames ‘illegal Yunus government’ for manipulating turnout figures

Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina today termed the Bangladesh’s 13th National Parliamentary Election held on 12 February as a pre-planned election of deception and farce. In a statement, Sheikh Hasina claimed that there were no voters at the polling stations across Bangladesh, yet there were votes on the counting tables. She referred to the recent polls as a disgraceful chapter in Bangladesh’s democratic history. She said that it was not an election of public will, but an industrial-scale administrative exercise in manipulating numbers.

According to Awami League President, there were serious irregularities observed in the conduct of voting and in the turnout percentages released in stages by the Election Commission, many of which appeared inconsistent and unrealistic.

Advertisement

Sheikh Hasina blamed the ‘illegal government of Muhammad Yunus’ for inflating turnout figures through manipulation. She explained in her statement, “According to the Commission’s first briefing, by 11:00 a.m. – the first 3 hours and 30 minutes – 14.96% of votes had been cast, equivalent to 19,105,684 ballots. That would mean an average of 90,979 votes per minute. In the next briefing, turnout by 12:00 noon was announced as 32.88%. That means between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 noon alone, 17.92% of votes were cast – 22,880,350 ballots, an average of roughly 381,339 votes per minute. This rate is several times higher than the earlier average and is highly abnormal. During the first 3.5 hours, the hourly turnout rate was 4.27%, yet in the following hour, it was shown as 17.92%. If all 32,789 polling centres were operating, this would imply an average of 11.63 votes per minute per centre, one vote every 5.16 seconds, which is practically impossible.”

Questioning the ‘abnormal surge within a single hour’, Hasina said, “Anyone familiar with Bangladesh’s voting history knows that turnout typically moves fastest in the morning, especially before 11 a.m. Yet only 14.96% turnout was recorded during that period, followed by a sudden leap to 32.88% by noon.”

18.56% in One Hour — A Mathematical Miracle or Manipulation?

Official figures show turnout rising from 14.32% at 11:00 am to 32.88% by 12:00 pm — an increase of 18.56% in just one hour.

With 127.7 million registered voters, that jump equals roughly 23.7 million votes cast in 60… pic.twitter.com/1S48bAYbKf

— Bangladesh Awami League (@albd1971) February 12, 2026

She further claimed that the overall vote count presented by the Election Commission does not match the reality reported across the country – empty polling stations, inactive booths, and absent voters. She said, “Among roughly 86,000 prisoners eligible to vote, only about 5,000 did so (around 3%). Among an estimated 15 million expatriate voters, about 500,000 voted (around 7%). In this context, the claim of nearly 60% turnout is not just unrealistic but laughable.”

Violent incidents disrupted free and fair polls

Sheikh Hasina, in her statement, mentioned about the several incidents of violence and clashes that occurred on the eve of voting in various parts of the country between the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Jamaat-e-Islami. She said, “Reports emerged of weapons recoveries, vote-buying, and arrests. That evening, there were reports of polling centres being seized, ballots being stamped in advance, and other irregularities. In several centres, presiding officers signed result sheets before voting even began. Many voters who went to cast their ballots found that their votes had already been cast. In some places, groups of four or five women were seen stamping ballots together inside private rooms; in others, men were doing so. Hundreds of pre-stamped ballots were recovered. Some centres had multiple polling agents representing the same candidate. Attempts were made the previous night to prepare result sheets and collect polling agents’ signatures in advance.”

On election day itself, clashes, crude bomb explosions, centre seizures, ballot snatching, coer- cion to vote for specific symbols, fake voting, counting irregularities, and even presiding officers stamping ballots for particular candidates were reported nationwide.

Hasina demands Yunus’ resignation

Citing the demand of Bangladesh’s 180 million people, Hasina demanded annulment of this ‘voterless, illegal, and unconstitutional election.’ She also demanded the resignation of the ‘murderous fascist Yunus’ for robbing the people of their voting rights in this rigged and one-sided election. She asked for withdrawal of false cases and release of all political prisoners, teachers, journalists, intellectuals, and professionals.

In her concluing remarks, Hasina demanded restoration of the people’s voting rights by holding a free, fair, and participatory election under a neutral caretaker government.