Dhaka, Feb. 12 -- The Awami League on Thursday strongly condemned the 13th National Parliamentary Election in Bangladesh, calling it a "well-planned farce" orchestrated by Chief Adviser of the interim government, Muhammad Yunus, and demanded the reinstatement of the party along with the release of political prisoners.

The Bangladesh Awami League has been barred from participating in the national polls after the interim government banned any political activity and suspended its registration as a political party.

In a statement released after the polls closed, Awami League leader and former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed gratitude to citizens for rejecting what she described as a fraudulent election conducted without he...