India, Feb. 8 -- The February 12 elections in Bangladesh carry immense significance, coming at a time when the country has been without an elected government for nearly two years and has been administered by an interim regime. The prolonged absence of an elected leadership has intensified concerns over democratic legitimacy and governance.

In an exclusive interview with The Sunday Guardian and NewsX, former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina strongly criticised the proposed electoral process, describing it as a "mockery of democracy." She argued that any election which sidelines the country's oldest political party-the Awami League, which she heads-and effectively disenfranchises millions of citizens cannot be regarded as democratic...