Radical Group Advancing Towards Designation: Collapse of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League Leadership
Runaway Awami League: From Liberation Heroes to Outlawed entity on Home Soil
New Delhi: The once freedom-fighting party that led Bangladesh to independence now finds itself outcast under Bangladesh's Anti-Terrorism Act. The interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, has blacklisted the Awami League, citing threats to national security and ongoing war crimes investigations.
This shocking turn of events has left the former ruling party, once helmed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, fighting accusations of orchestrating violent crackdowns during the student-led protests in July-August 2024 that claimed close to 1,500 lives.
Knowing the Awami League
Originated from a rebellious spirit against the ruling West Pakistani elite, the Awami League was established on June 23, 1949, in Dhaka, as the East Pakistan Awami Muslim League—a breakaway faction of the Muslim League. The party rose as a secular, progressive voice for the Bengali populace in then East Pakistan.
The party made its mark during the 1952 Language Movement, demanding Bengali be recognized as one of Pakistan's state languages. Its base swelled among students, intellectuals, and rural voters through populist and regional identity politics.
The 1970 Election Triumph
In the 1970 general elections of Pakistan, the Awami League, under Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's leadership, swept the East Pakistani seats and won a majority (160 out of 162).
West Pakistan refused to hand over power to Mujibur Rahman, triggering political unrest and a brutal crackdown known as 'Operation Searchlight'.
Birth of Bangladesh
On March 26, 1971, after political negotiations failed, Bangladesh declared independence. Led by the Awami League, the people launched a liberation struggle that lasted from March to December. Mujibur Rahman was arrested by Pakistani forces.
The Awami League-led Mukti Bahini (Liberation Army), backed by India, triumphed in the liberation struggle. Mujibur Rahman was later released post-war.
Bangladesh gained independence on December 16, 1971, with the help of India. Mujibur Rahman became the first President and Prime Minister of the nation, hailed as the 'Bangabandhu'—Friend of Bengal.
Mujibur's Demise
The Awami League government grappled with post-war reconstruction, famine, and rising discontent. In 1975, Mujibur Rahman introduced one-party rule through BAKSAL (Bangladesh Krishak Sramik Awami League), a move many saw as a betrayal of democratic ideals.
Months later, on August 15, Mujibur Rahman and most of his family were assassinated in a military coup. The Awami League lost its footing in the military-led regimes of Ziaur Rahman and later Hussain Muhammad Ershad.
Sheikh Hasina's Rebirth
In 1981, Sheikh Hasina, Mujibur Rahman's exiled daughter, returned to Bangladesh and resumed leadership of the party. Through the 1980s, she rebuilt the Awami League from the ground up, forming alliances with student groups, civil society, and pro-democracy voices.
The party played a significant role in the 1990 movement that ended Ershad’s dictatorship. In 1996, the Awami League reclaimed power with Hasina becoming Prime Minister.
Her first term was marked by peace deals with tribal groups and infrastructure investments.
Turbulent Times
After losing power in 2001, the Awami League accused the BNP-Jamaat alliance of political repression. In 2007, a military-backed caretaker government seized power, arresting both Hasina and BNP leader Khaleda Zia under corruption charges.
The Hasina Era (2009-2024)
The tide turned in 2009, as Hasina's uninterrupted 15-year rule (making her the longest-serving prime minister in Bangladesh's history) marked a period of political polarization, human rights concerns, and allegations of vote rigging and authoritarian tactics.
Critics accused the Awami League of turning into what it once fought against—a centralized force intolerant of dissent. Hasina ruled until her ouster in 2024.
The 2024 Uprising
In July and August 2024, students across the country launched mass protests triggered by fuel price hikes, youth unemployment, and corruption allegations. According to the United Nations, over 1,400 protesters died in police crackdowns instructed by Hasina’s Awami League.
Hasina’s government collapsed in August 2024, following pressure from civil society, opposition groups, and defectors within her own party, leading to her resignation on August 5, 2024, and her subsequent flight to India.
By September, an interim administration led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was in power. Now, the Awami League finds itself derailed from its historic roots and silenced under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The Awami League's current predicament, marked by blacklisting and outcast status under Bangladesh's Anti-Terrorism Act, has its roots in allegations of violent crackdowns during the student-led protests in July-August 2024 that resulted in over 1,400 lives lost. This drastic turn of events poignantly juxtaposes the party's original secular, progressive voice for the Bengali populace during the 1952 Language Movement. The political landscape in Bangladesh since then, with policies and legislation influencing the dynamics of war-and-conflicts, crime-and-justice, and general news, has significantly shifted the Awami League's stance from its historical roots.
