Sajeeb Wazed, son and key advisor to exiled former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, issued a stark warning on Sunday, vowing that Awami League supporters would derail the February 2026 national elections unless the party's ban is lifted, predicting escalating protests that could erupt into widespread violence. His comments to Reuters arrived just hours before a high-stakes televised verdict from Dhaka's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), where the 78-year-old Hasina—now in Indian exile—is widely expected to be convicted in absentia on crimes against humanity charges tied to the deadly 2024 crackdown on student protests.

Wazed, known as Joy in Bangladesh and residing in Washington, DC, dismissed the impending ruling as a sham, stating: "We know exactly what the verdict will be—they're going to convict her and probably sentence her to death." He emphasized Hasina's safety in New Delhi, where India provides "full security like a head of state," rendering any punishment toothless. The ICT, prosecuting Hasina as the "mastermind" behind the violence that a UN report pegged at up to 1,400 deaths and thousands wounded—mostly from security gunfire—has drawn Hasina's ire as a "politically motivated charade," echoing her October Reuters interview where she decried it as a foregone conclusion.

As Bangladesh's $50 billion garment sector—vital for its 170 million population—still reels from last year's unrest that paralyzed exports to global brands, Wazed outlined a no-appeal strategy unless a democratic government includes the Awami League. The party's May suspension, justified by the Yunus-led interim regime on security and war crimes probes into its leaders, has barred it from politics, prompting Wazed to declare: "We will not allow elections without Awami League to proceed—our protests will intensify, and without international intervention, violence is inevitable before the polls."

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Tensions boiled over in Dhaka with multiple crude bomb explosions on Sunday, following 32 blasts and dozens of torched buses on November 12, as authorities arrested Awami League activists for alleged sabotage. In response, over 400 Border Guards were deployed, checkpoints fortified, and public gatherings curtailed nationwide, particularly in Hasina's Gopalganj stronghold. Wazed highlighted surging shutdowns and mass demonstrations, insisting he and Hasina maintain contact with grassroots cadres but shun the interim government or BNP rivals tipped to dominate post-election.

Hasina, who steered Bangladesh's economic boom over 15 years but faced accusations of authoritarianism and dissent suppression—winning a boycotted 2024 poll—fled amid the July-August 2024 uprising, the deadliest since 1971 independence. Her family history of tragedy, including a 1975 coup that killed her parents and brothers, underscores her resilience; Wazed described her as "upset, angry, outraged" yet resolute to "fight back by whatever means." With Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus's office silent and a nationwide Awami League lockdown called for Monday, the verdict—set for live broadcast on state TV—threatens to ignite a powder keg in the fragile interim setup.

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