Online Politics Heats Up in New Town, Kolkata: A Hub for Pilates, Hair Transplants, and Political Discourse
In a significant development, over 1,300 leaders and activists of the Bangladeshi Awami League have sought refuge in India since August 2024, with many of them settling in New Town, a planned satellite city near Kolkata.
Among these exiled leaders is Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, a former home minister, who now resides in New Town with his family. Khan Kamal hosts party colleagues at his home and travels weekly to Delhi for meetings. His 3BHK apartment in New Town is shared with another Awami League MP, and the two engage in weight training at a neighborhood fitness studio.
The former Cox's Bazar MP, who shares the apartment, is also reported to have enrolled his flatmate in Pilates classes. Other younger leaders have taken lighter distractions, such as a young MP who underwent a hair transplant in Delhi.
The Awami League leaders and activists in exile have established routines that include prayer, exercise, and online meetings. They rally around the hope of Sheikh Hasina's return and consider the interim government in Bangladesh as illegal.
Mohammad A Arafat, former state minister for information and broadcasting, is one of the key figures in this exile government. Arafat, who has been working around the clock without much time for leisure or sleep, has stated that his primary goal is to make things right in Bangladesh. He reiterated that they will continue to fight for the betterment of the Bangladeshi people, regardless of their separation and isolation.
The Awami League's exile government in India is largely inactive today, with limited organizational presence, and there are no significant recent activities aimed at facilitating Sheikh Hasina's return, as she has been serving as Bangladesh's Prime Minister since 2009.
Not all exiled leaders have settled in India. Harun Al Rashid, former Bangladesh ambassador to Morocco, has settled in Ottawa, Canada, where he spends most of his time writing. His dystopian novel, titled "The Mapmaker's Prayers", is based on Bengal's turbulent history.
The Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport, with its proximity, is a significant draw for these refugees. The alleged "discreet party office" in New Town is, according to Awami League leaders, a rented space for meetings and not an office.
The Print reported on 19 August that these developments were part of a growing trend among the Awami League in exile. Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has reportedly told visitors that they have come to India to stay alive and be ready to fight tomorrow.
This exile of Awami League leaders and activists marks a unique chapter in Bangladeshi politics, as they strive to restore their nation to its status as an economic jewel in the region.
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