‘Turnout will be test of Awami’s boycott call’

Nagpur: Living in exile outside Bangladesh, Saddam Hussain, president of Chhatra League — the student wing of the Awami League — is hoping his party's call to boycott the February 12 elections will have an impact. Hussain said a low voter turnout would demonstrate banned the Awami League's continued influence and could eventually open the door for political negotiations or consensus with other parties in Bangladesh.The Chhatra League has been accused of involvement in the July violence against protesters, which ultimately led to the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Hussain himself faces charges related to violence and fled the country to avoid arrest.
From an undisclosed location, Hussain told TOI that Sheikh Hasina had called for a poll boycott over a month ago and urged Chhatra League cadres to mobilise people to stay away from voting. He claimed the organisation had made deep inroads among the public and expected a significant response to the boycott call. However, he also expressed fears that the elections could be rigged, with turnout figures potentially manipulated by the govt."Even if the turnout is low, they may fudge the numbers. But the groundwork done by the Awami League will show results in the long run," he said, adding, "This is a time of political struggle. We hope that Bangladesh will one day have a democratically elected govt again."Hussain alleged that violence against the minorities and Awami League supporters has now become a new normal. He claimed that the degree certificates of nearly 15,000 students were cancelled due to their alleged links with the Chhatra League, while over 5 lakh party leaders and workers were jailed and their families subjected to harassment.He cited the case of Chhatra League leader Hasan Saddam, who remains imprisoned. Hasan's wife and nine-month-old infant were found dead last month, Hussain said. According to him, Hasan was arrested for a crime that had occurred while he was in India undergoing treatment for a medical condition. He was even denied parole to attend their funeral and was allowed to see the bodies for only five minutes at Jessore jail, where they were brought.