Discussion over ‘refined’ Awami League gains traction outside, but not within AL

Despite growing speculation about a “refined Awami League,” there is no discussions within the party regarding such an initiative, nor any indication of leadership changes.

Moreover, the party’s fugitive top leadership has not shown support for the concept, raising doubts about the credibility of such claims.

Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted from power following the student-led mass uprising on 5 August last year, fled to India, followed by several party leaders. Since then, discussions have surfaced about whether the Awami League would acknowledge its past mistakes and undergo reforms.

However, rather than engaging in self-reflection, the party’s top leadership has remained defiant, actively criticising the interim government and leaders of the July Movement on social media. Conversations with party insiders indicate that its core leadership remains unchanged in its stance.

Awami League leaders said, the big question is who would be responsible for “refining” the party, as there is no sign that Sheikh Hasina is considering stepping down or sidelining key figures. Some speculate that certain leaders within the country may attempt to reshape the party without her, but whether grassroots activists would support such an initiative remains uncertain.

Party insiders suggest that with many top leaders, including Sheikh Hasina, currently in India, any restructuring efforts would likely follow her preferences. Any attempt to reform the party without her influence would likely face strong resistance from exiled leaders.

The debate over a “eefined Awami League” gained momentum last Thursday night when Hasnat Abdullah, chief organiser (South) of the Jatiya Nagorik Party, posted on Facebook, alleging a new conspiracy to create such a faction. He claimed the initiative for a ‘refined AL’ was backed by India and involved key figures like Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury, and Fazle Noor Taposh.

Hasnat further alleged that on 11 March, the army chief presented a plan at the cantonment, proposing that the NCP accept this arrangement in exchange for a parliamentary seat-sharing deal. “We were told that similar proposals had been offered to several political parties, and they had agreed to the conditional rehabilitation of the Awami League. The argument was that having multiple opposition parties, including a weakened Awami League, would be preferable to a single dominant opposition force,” he wrote.

Since Hasnat’s post, speculation about the Awami League’s potential return in a refined form has spread rapidly on social media.

However, Awami League leaders have publicly rejected the notion of a restructured party. On Saturday, the party’s Information and Publicity Secretary, Aminul Islam, refuted the idea in a Facebook post, stating, “Not refined, absolutely pure. Pure means pure. The entire nation is waiting for the grand return of Bangabandhu’s Awami League, and our leader is undoubtedly his daughter, Sheikh Hasina.”

A day earlier, in an interview with Deutsche Welle’s Bangla Service, Awami League central leader and former State Minister for Information Mohammad A Arafat dismissed any possibility of leadership changes. “The leadership of the Awami League remains firmly in the hands of Bangabandhu’s daughter, Sheikh Hasina. From the party’s top ranks to its grassroots, 100 per cent of members trust her leadership. There is no possibility of restructuring in terms of leadership,” he stated.

According to Hasnat Abdullah, the plan for a “refined Awami League” is being formulated with Saber Hossain Chowdhury, Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury, and Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh at the forefront. However, doubt remains within the party regarding this initiative.

Saber Hossain Chowdhury has not held an official party position in the Awami League since the 1/11 political crisis. In June 2023, he was appointed as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s special envoy on environment and climate change. Last year, he was included in the cabinet as the minister of environment and forests.

For several months, there had been discussions within the party about appointing spokespersons, with some leaders, including Saber Hossain Chowdhury, considered for the role. However, this initiative never materialised.

Importantly, the idea of appointing spokespersons was proposed while keeping Sheikh Hasina as party president and maintaining the current leadership structure. Most Awami League leaders do not believe she would entrust Saber Hossain Chowdhury with the task of restructuring the party. However, some argue that giving figures like him—who remain in the country—a role in organising the grassroots could be beneficial.

Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury’s rise within the Awami League has sparked both discussion and criticism among party leaders. She previously served as the party’s women’s affairs secretary before becoming a cabinet member and later holding the position of Speaker of Parliament for over a decade. Many Awami League leaders question her organisational skills and her ability to manage the party’s internal structure effectively.

Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, the former mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation, fled the country before the fall of the Awami League government on 5 August. Allegations of corruption, irregularities, and abuse of power have surfaced about him. Furthermore, following the party’s downfall, many Awami League leaders and workers have grown frustrated with Sheikh Hasina’s family members, publicly criticising Taposh and others. Given this sentiment, party insiders believe that any attempt to refine the Awami League with Taposh in a leadership role would be widely rejected within the party.

Awami League currently has 81 members, including 19 presidium members. Following the government’s change on 5 August, presidium member Matia Chowdhury passed away. Additionally, several key leaders have been arrested, including Engineer Mosharraf Hossain, Kazi Zafarullah, Abdur Razzak, Faruk Khan, Shajahan Khan, Mostafa Jalal Mohiuddin, and Kamrul Islam. Among the central committee members, Joint General Secretary Dipu Moni, Publicity and Publication Secretary Abdus Sobhan (Golap), and Organising Secretary Ahmed Hossain have also been detained. Most of the remaining leaders are currently abroad, with many already making public appearances online and at various international events.

Discussions with multiple Awami League insiders reveal that party leaders are concentrated in four main countries. India hosts the largest number, with an estimated 200 to 300 leaders currently residing there. Some leaders frequently travel between India and other countries. Those in hiding abroad have already established communication networks with colleagues both inside and outside Bangladesh, and some continue to maintain contact with party chief Sheikh Hasina.

Sources indicate that Sheikh Hasina is currently in Delhi, along with General Secretary Obaidul Quader. However, Quader appears to be increasingly isolated, with limited contact from other leaders. Many within the party speculate that his political career is nearing its end. Several officials from the former Awami League government’s military and civil administration are also reportedly in Delhi.

Most of the central committee members, associate organisation leaders, and former ministers are staying in Kolkata, West Bengal. Among them, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Joint General Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim, former Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury, and Information and Research Secretary Salim Mahmud remain politically active.

Meanwhile, Awami League Presidium member Abdur Rahman, former Organising Secretary and State Minister Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, Organising Secretary Abu Saeed Al Mahmud Swapon, and former Minister Shafiqur Rahman Chowdhury are currently based in the United Kingdom. Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury has been particularly engaged, participating in online discussions and attending a workshop in London last Monday.

In the United States, former State Minister Mohammad A Arafat, Office Secretary Biplob Barua, Publicity Secretary Aminul Islam, and several other leaders are reportedly active. There are widespread rumours within the party that they are working under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy.

Additionally, Joint General Secretary Mahbubul Alam Hanif is believed to be in Canada, while another Joint General Secretary, Hasan Mahmud, is residing in Belgium.

It appears that even Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader is no longer considered a significant figure within the party. From grassroots members to central committee leaders, almost everyone has effectively sidelined him. According to insiders, a quiet power struggle is unfolding among exiled party leaders over who will assume Quader’s role.

Some speculate that a new General Secretary could be appointed in his place, while others believe the party might introduce one or more spokespersons to issue statements during this period of uncertainty. As a result, several leaders are actively trying to assert their relevance by making strong statements on Facebook, engaging in WhatsApp calls, and using various social media platforms to demonstrate their influence. They are also attempting to mobilize party workers inside Bangladesh through various programs, hoping to prove their grassroots support to the party’s top leadership.

However, writer and political analyst Mohiuddin Ahmed argues that the idea of a “refined Awami League” is baseless. He believes that meaningful reform must originate from within the party itself.

“So far, no one from within the Awami League has acknowledged any mistakes or wrongdoing,” Mohiuddin Ahmed told Prothom Alo.

He further noted that those being named as potential figures in a refined Awami League were also beneficiaries of the last three disputed elections. “How, then, can they lead any cleansing of the party?” he questioned. He emphasised that for the party to truly undergo reforms, the demand for change must come from within. “There is no point in raising this discussion from the outside,” he added.

*This report, originally published in Prothom Alo print edition, has been rewritten in English by Farjana Liakat