AWAMI SUPPORTERS IN EXILE UNEASY BUT DEFIANT AFTER HASINA DEATH SENTENCE

A deep unease has gripped Awami League supporters living in exile after the International Crimes Tribunal in Dhaka sentenced former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death for crimes against humanity linked to the 2024 student uprising. The verdict sparked outrage among the party’s leadership abroad, particularly in India, where several senior Awami League figures have taken refuge since August last year.

- SUPROTIM MUKHERJEE

Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina

Speaking from an undisclosed location in Kolkata, Awami League general secretary and former Road ‘Transportand Bridges Minister of Bangladesh Obaidul Quader denounced the judgment as “a travesty in the name of justice by a kangaroo court.” He said the verdict was politically motivated and aimed at permanently excluding Hasina and her party from Bangladesh’s political landscape.

“The court does not have any legal sanctity. The case was built on false allegations with the sole intention to eliminate Sheikh Hasina and Awami League from electoral politics,” Quader said in a press statement issued hours after the tribunal's announcement.

Since August last year, Awami League's exiled leaders have built a vast underground communication network spanning India, Europe, and the United States. Using encrypted messaging platforms such as Telegram and virtual meeting tools, the network has reportedly mobilized over half a million supporters across Bangladesh. “We now have the capacity to reach five lakh party workers within an hour,” Quader confirmed, adding that the network was the result of “long, patient organizational work.”

This intricate digital structure enabled the Awami League to enforce a lockdown across Dhaka last week, reportedly in response to deteriorating political conditions and arrests of party sympathizers. “Many of us have been working from Kolkata, London, and Brussels for months,” said an Awami League organizer overseeing online coordination.

“Virtual cells were created in each district to spread directives and keep morale up. The challenge now is sustaining discipline as pressure mounts,” said party activist and organiser Nayon Biswas Rocky.