Daily Briefing: Hope in exile for Sheikh Hasina’s party

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It’s been over five months since former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled her country after violent protests brought down her government.

Most of her party Awami League’s members are in hiding. Ritu Sarin, our Executive Editor (news and investigations), spoke to several ex-MPs and Ministers to make sense of their life in exile.

Broken: Several leaders admit to Sarin that there had been lapses in governance during Hasina’s 15-year rule. Some blame a “joint coup by Islamic terrorists and the Army” for the events that transpired. Today, the Awami League forms a “disintegrated, scattered” political front. A third of their leadership is in jail, a third is outside the country, and others are hiding in Bangladesh.

Cornered: Party leaders have flagged continued violence, attempts to rewrite Bangladesh’s history, attacks against minorities and a paralysed judiciary in the country. They say they are willing to return home but only if the “rule of law” is restored and the party can fight elections.

Appeal: Can India help? Veteran Awami League leader Azaduzzaman Khan Kamal who was Home Minister in Hasina’s Cabinet certainly thinks so. “Diplomatic pressure and a loud voice should be raised so that courts start functioning again. India can help in this.”

Hope: Despite the reversal in fortunes, Sarin found an unmistakable sense of hope and purpose within the ranks of the Awami League leaders. They derive the strength from their “Apa” (older sister) Hasina, who remains available to leaders via WhatsApp and is confident they will overcome this.

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Before you go, tune in to today’s episode of the ‘3 Things’ podcast, where we talk about the nomination of an Indian short film at the 97th Academy Awards.

That’s all for today folks. Until next time,
Sonal Gupta

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