“With only the clothes on our backs and empty hands, we left our homeland, feeling utterly helpless. We don’t know how we’ll survive. Hold on, stay safe. When the time comes, we’ll journey together again.”
These were the only words of consolation that top Awami League leaders could muster for their followers and party members before fleeing Bangladesh after the collapse of Sheikh Hasina’s government on August 5, amid sweeping national protests.
More than a dozen mid-level Awami League leaders and leaders of its affiliates unable to flee, expresses a deep sense of abandonment and uncertainty among them, marking the party’s most critical moment in the past 16 years.
Grim reality
From the top ranks to the grassroots, leaders and activists of the Awami League now face a grim reality of lawsuits, arrests, and attacks. Ms. Hasina alone faces over two hundred cases, many involving threats to her life, while prominent figures like AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader are also listed as defendants. For countless members, the situation has forced them into hiding, and many are urgently seeking ways to escape the country.
Leaders from the AL’s affiliates have also disappeared. Some disheartened AL and its affiliate members, speaking with The Hindu, expressed their fear and concern over the situation.
A Vice-President of the recently banned Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of the AL, who has gone into hiding, asking for anonymity, expressed deep frustration with the party’s top leadership.
“We wouldn’t be in this situation if the party had valued its dedicated leaders,” he said. “Instead, they always favoured flatterers. Now, with Sheikh Hasina’s fall, they’ve left the country, while we— the loyal ones — don’t even have the financial means to escape. We know the party is facing hard times, but this responsibility rests squarely with the top leadership. We’re now left to live a life filled with fear and uncertainty.”
On October 24, Bangladesh’s interim government banned the BCL, designating it a “terrorist organisation. This decision has intensified an already tense political atmosphere, with mass arrests of BCL leaders and activists stirring unease across university campuses.
Shortly after banning the BCL, the Adviser for the Ministry of Labour and Employment and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuiyan, said that members of banned organisations would not be allowed to be appointed in government positions.
BCL members are being detained while attending classes and exams. Law enforcement officials have arrested dozens of BCL members, including female students, as they arrive for exams on campuses. In some instances, protest leaders have handed over BCL members to police, who then show them as arrested in connection with various pending cases.
However, Sarjis Alam, a top coordinator of the anti-discrimination movement, has voiced opposition to the mass arrests targeting BCL leaders, noting that many of them, while holding positions within the organisation, also participated in the anti-discrimination movement in July.
After banning the BCL, demands for a ban on the AL itself are intensifying. Two petitions were recently filed with the High Court seeking a suspension of the activities of the AL and 10 other political parties. However, Hasnat Abdullah and Sarjis Alam, coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, later withdrew the petitions.
In response to this, AL Joint Secretary A.F.M. Bahauddin Nasim told The Hindu the interim government appears to be on a mission to eliminate the AL — an effort he said would fail because “the party is embedded in the hearts of the masses”. Questioning the government’s recent ban on the BCL, Mr. Nasim said: “How can they ban the BCL, the student wing that played a pivotal role in securing the nation’s independence?”
“Over 200 lawsuits have been filed against Sheikh Hasina, with thousands of party leaders arrested in connection with several thousand cases. Many have been forced into hiding to evade arrest. Homes and businesses — not only of Awami League leaders and activists but also of ordinary citizens — are being looted. Yet, there is a pervasive silence, including from the media, on these issues,” Mr. Nasim added.
Over 1,000 cases
According to Dhaka Metropolitan Police sources, 399 cases have been filed in various police stations and courts in the capital since August 5. Nationwide, a total of 1,695 cases have been filed as of October 13.
Police and court sources said Ms. Hasina now faces around 250 cases, including nearly 200 murder cases, on charges of killing and attempted murder during the student protests. The first case against her was filed on August 15 in a Dhaka court. Since then, a series of cases have been filed in the capital and across various parts of the country.
AL Organizing Secretary Shafiul Alam Chowdhury Nadel told The Hindu that more than 500,000 leaders, activists, and professionals affiliated with the party have been named in recent cases filed.
“These are fabricated cases. They include not only Awami League members and affiliates but also leaders from pro-liberation democratic parties, as well as cultural activists, journalists, and sports organisers. This is nothing but a campaign of harassment,” Mr. Nadel said.
According to party sources, grassroots leaders are staying away from their homes to avoid being monitored by law enforcement. They attempt to remain hidden, while their families live in constant fear, uncertain about what might happen next. Fearing for their lives, several political figures, among others, sought refuge within military cantonments. The Bangladesh Army provided shelter to 626 individuals from various backgrounds. After leaving the cantonments, political leaders went into hiding, with some escaping within the country while others crossed the border into neighbouring India.
Mr. Nadel accused Jamaat-BNP activists of indiscriminately targeting leaders and workers of the AL’s student organisation. Arrested AL leaders and activists are being denied the right to legal representation, an act he described as both illegal and inhumane.
“Due to the illegal takeover of power, these individuals are receiving little support from the administration and law enforcement. As a result, the ongoing disillusionment among the public, fuelled by the government’s controversial actions, has led to widespread disenchantment,” he added.
The International Crimes Tribunal on October 27 showed 10 former Ministers, including Anisul Huq, Abdur Razzaque, Lt. Col. (retd) Faruk Khan, Dipu Moni, Shahjahan Khan; and as many others were arrested on charges of crimes against humanity and genocide during the July-August mass uprising. Earlier, the tribunal also issued an arrest warrant against Ms. Hasina.
There are allegations that cases are being filed indiscriminately, with even deceased individuals listed as accused. For instance, on September 2, a case was filed against several AL leaders, alleging they attacked students during an August 4 protest in Beltoli under the Comilla district. Among the 96 individuals named in the case was Kamal Uddin Mazumder, an upazila AL leader who passed away on July 11, 2023. In addition to Kamal, two other deceased Awami League leaders were also included in the case.
Civil society members warn that this approach risks allowing actual perpetrators to evade justice, adding that many of these cases are unlikely to withstand scrutiny in court or progress beyond preliminary stages.
Mob violence
Meanwhile, even after nearly three months, mob violence is still going on in some places in the country. According to Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), 49 people were killed in mob violence across the country in August and September.
A new crisis has also emerged after protests broke out demanding the removal of President Mohammed Shahabuddin from office. The interim government’s decision on this issue is still pending due to a lack of ‘political consensus’. The BNP opposes this move, cautioning that it could create a constitutional vacuum, potentially sparking a broader crisis.
The AL views the BNP’s recent positions positively but refrains from commenting on the immediate reforms the interim government is planning. However, the party firmly rejects the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement’s demand to scrap the 1972 Constitution. The AL also denies any possibility of forming an alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami, despite speculation that Jamaat might seek common ground with the AL to counter the BNP in the next elections. Party leaders expressed willingness to participate in elections but stressed that stability is essential to ensure credibility, something they doubt the Yunus-led interim government can achieve.
“It’s impossible to form any alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami due to our strong ideological differences,” said AL leader Mr. Nasim. “However, we appreciate the BNP’s stance on not banning political parties and on retaining the President.”
The AL reiterated its support for democratic elections in a neutral, stable environment under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina. “Immediate reforms may be necessary in some cases, but we will not tolerate the scrapping of the 1972 Constitution which Anti-Discrimination Student Movement leaders have demanded,” Mr. Nasim added.
Asked if the AL is prepared to ensure Ms. Hasina’s safety upon her return to the country Mr. Nadel said: “We are maintaining communication with our activists and democratic allies. Soon, we will launch a political programme and take our movement to the streets. Our leader, Sheikh Hasina, will be returning soon.”
Published – October 30, 2024 10:54 pm IST
