Bangladesh's ousted leader Hasina denounces the upcoming election from her exile in India

Bangladesh’s ousted leader Sheikh Hasina has slammed the country’s upcoming election after her party was barred from the polls, remarks that could deepen tensions ahead of the pivotal vote next monthBangladesh's ousted leader Hasina denounces the upcoming election from her exile in IndiaBy JULHAS ALAM Associated Press and SHEIKH SAALIQ Associated PressDHAKA, Bangladesh -- From her exile in India, Bangladesh’s ousted leader Sheikh Hasina has slammed the country’s upcoming election after her party was barred from the polls, remarks that could deepen tensions ahead of the pivotal vote next month. Yunus returned to Bangladesh and took over three days after Hasina fled to India on Aug. 5, 2024, following weeks of violent unrest. Hasina’s party has alleged arbitrary arrests and deaths in custody of its members, claims that the government has denied. In her email to the AP, Hasina said that to move forward, Bangladesh needs to break the cycle of political bans and boycotts. She contended that under her government, some elections were "not truly participatory because major political parties chose to boycott democratic processes.”“I recognize this was far from ideal,” she said, adding that Bangladesh’s political parties must now end that cycle.