'We are living like prisoners': Hasina's Awami League workers fear for life & liberty under Yunus govt

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2 days ago

Bangladesh has been in turmoil for about a year. It began with a student agitation against quota in jobs. It ousted Hasina and brought Yunus to run the government. How has it been for Bangladesh? A political functionary speaks to Firstpost's Bhagyasree Sengupta read more
In August last year, the 15-year-long rule of Sheikh Hasina , who had been won a record fourth term as the Bangladesh prime minister only seven months ago, came to an abrupt end following violent protests in Dhaka. Her government had been toppled by a largely leaderless student agitation against quota in jobs.
This brought a new leader to the fore: Nobel Peace Prize winner, Muhammad Yunus , who was appointed as the Chief Adviser to Bangladesh, the functional head of the interim government with the constitutional responsibility of holding free and fair elections. It was expected that Yunus would pick up from where Hasina left, stabilise the country and pave way for the return of an elected government in Bangladesh.
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However, it has been nine months since Yunus assumed the reins of power, and the prospects of holding an election this year look bleak. While the tussle between the Yunus government, political parties and the Army over elections has intensified. Reports from Bangladesh indicate that Yunus is under immense from political parties and the Army to hold the parliamentary election by December 2025. Yunus has spoken about a timeframe that extends to June 2026, evoking strong reactions from political stakeholders.
Amid this political tug of war, a party that is arguably the most influential and has the most extensive cadre base is also looking for its revival: the outlawed Awami League. After Hasina left the country, Yunus announced that her party would be banned from contesting polls . Since then, the lives of Awami League workers and leaders have been a struggle, says a senior functionary of the party. He requested anonymity for the 'fear of life and security'.
People climb the statue of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at the Bijoy Sarani area, as they celebrate the resignation of the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on August 5. File image/AFP
Crime rates in Bangladesh have skyrocketed. It is also due to how last year's protests dismantled the police infrastructure in the country. Firstpost reached out to multiple individuals in Bangladesh from diverse backgrounds. From lawyers to government officers, we asked what the on-ground situation is in the country. There was palpable fear among the common public, of getting caught and facing the repercussions of speaking to an Indian journalist.
Many journalists, to whom Firstpost reached out, claimed that their phones were being tapped. Lawyers refrained from speaking, and government officers hung up after the introduction.
The Awami League functionary Firstpost spoke to among others is living in the country, unlike several others who have fled Bangladesh, and navigating the 'wrath' of the current groups in power . During our call, the Awami League functionary also requested Firstpost to not disclose the area where he lives for security reasons. Here's what he has to say about the situation in the country.
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'We are living like prisoners'
When Firstpost asked about the situation in Bangladesh, the Awami League functionary had a simple response in Bangla: 'The country's situation is bad.' He said there have been multiple attacks on Hindus and other minorities in the country.
The Awami League functionary claimed that a 65-year-old woman was gang-raped, and her husband beaten by goons, who took advantage of the collapse of the law and order in the country. He said the houses of other party workers and supporters were also being demolished.
When asked who these 'goons' are, the Awami League functionary said, 'They are goons from Jamaat [Jamaat-i-Islami], the BNP [Bangladesh Nationalist Party] and the NCP (National Citizens Party) ,' whom the Awami League functionary frequently called the 'B Team of Jamaat'. He said there have been clashes among workers of different parties, including the Awami League, causing further turbulence in the country.
Anti-quota supporters clash with police and Awami League supporters at the Rampura area in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Source: REUTERS.
'Robberies, rapes and contract killings have become common in Bangladesh. People are avoiding going out for this reason, especially Awami League workers. We are living like prisoners,' he told Firstpost.
The Awami functionary maintained that while the Army is trying to get a hold of the situation, the lack of police presence in the localities has become a critical issue.
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Disappointment with Yunus
The Awami League functionary expressed disappointment with Yunus and questioned how his transitional government could ban one of the most popular parties in the country. When asked if any of his reforms are being implemented in the country, he said, 'Nothing good can happen under Yunus.'
He repeated the charge that former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, currently living in exile in India, levelled against the Yunus government that the interim dispensation is 'supporting terrorists and extremists in the country'. He also claimed that 'the US is in favour of Yunus,' and that the chief adviser is trying everything to appease Washington DC.
Bangladesh's interim government chief Muhammad Yunus
'One cannot conduct a fair election with Yunus in power. The Bangladeshi Senabahini [Army] needs to step in and establish a new impartial leader who can hold elections in the country,' the Awami League worker told Firstpost. 'Democracy is not alive in this country.'
Lack of support for key political players
The Awami functionary noted that with his party out of the picture, the key players in Bangladesh politics are the BNP, the Jamaat and the NCP. However, he claimed that the Awami continues to remain the most popular party in the country.
'Our popularity was affected during the protests in the country. But Awami is gaining ground-level support since people are disappointed by the turbulence in the country after PM Hasina left,' he said.
'The BNP is calling for early elections in the current circumstances because they know there is no strong opponent to them. NCP is relatively new , and Jamaat, whose ban was lifted recently , does not have strong support in the country,' he told Firstpost.
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Former Prime Minister of Bangladesh Khaleda Zia. File Image
He also spoke about an anti-India campaign being pushed by non-Awami outfits, saying these parties are 'anti-India, especially Jamaat, which inclines towards Pakistan'. The Jamaat had been banned earlier over its ties with terror groups in Bangladesh as well as Pakistan.
When asked if Awami leaders can contest polls as independent candidates, as former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) did, the party functionary said while it is legally possible but practically not viable to contest polls as independent nominees. He said Awami League politicians announcing to contest election will face the risk of getting prosecuted for some 'false charges' besides inviting threat to their lives.
International Pressure
The Awami League functionary also referred to the international 'pressure' that the country is facing in political sphere. He said, 'Three countries can have a say in Bangladeshi politics and they are India, Pakistan and the United States.'
He said the US is planning to build a military base in St Martin's Island , a claim outrightly rejected by Washington DC, and that the US is also taking an interest in the Rohingya Corridor .
The proposed Rakhine Corridor, a 'humanitarian' passage from south-eastern Bangladesh into Myanmar's conflict-ridden Rakhine State, has caused a major political and military standoff within Bangladesh. While Yunus has endorsed the corridor , Bangladesh Army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman deems it a threat to national sovereignty, even going further to call it a 'bloody corridor'.
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The Awami functionary said there is an increased international curiosity in the tussle over the corridor closely. He called for greater role by India in normalising situation in Bangladesh, citing historical connect. 'India's role will determine the existence of Bangladesh,' he said.
India had gone to war with Pakistan in 1971 when the Bangladesh's Liberation War posed serious challenges to the country's Northeast over acute migration crisis, and continued persecution of the Bengali people in the then East Pakistan. The war resulted in the surrender of 93,000 Pakistani soldiers and the Liberation of Bangladesh.
(L-R) Bangladesh Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. AFP
When asked about Bangladesh's recent realignment with Pakistan , the Awami functionary claimed that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) orchestrated last year's protests in the country. He also asserted that the Jamaat has ties with terrorist outfits in Pakistan.
Hopes for Hasina's return
Is the Awami League waiting for the return of Sheikh Hasina? Are the party cadre and leaders hopeful of her return? The Awami functionary told Firstpost the party workers know Hasina's return wouldn't be easy. There are challenges, he said.
'The prosecutor pursuing the trial against Hasina and other Awami leaders at the International Crimes Tribunal [Bangladesh] is biased towards Jamaat,' he told Firstpost.
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'While Hasina will get full party support with 20-25 lakh party workers standing beside her in Bangladesh, she can return systematically if the country's army ensures her security,' he said, demanding that the Army should ensure that all political groups in the country 'get a level-playing field' before an election is held.
File Image- FP
On the law-and-order situation in the country, he said, 'There was a time when people could walk freely in this country at 3 or 4 am. This cannot happen today. If you try calling the police, they are nowhere to be found. Women are being burned alive by these goons. They are destroying everything,' he said.
Meanwhile, Yunus met with representatives of over 20 political outfits. Most of them called for early elections, giving the chief adviser a deadline of December 2025. The Awami League was not invited for what Yunus called a 'unity' meet.