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NDTV
11-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Explained: The Rise And Fall Of Sheikh Hasina's Bangladesh Awami League
New Delhi: The party that once led Bangladesh to liberation now finds itself outlawed on the very soil it helped set free. The Awami League, once the torchbearer of Bangladesh's independence, has been banned under the Anti-Terrorism Act by the country's interim government led by Muhammad Yunus. Citing threats to national security and an ongoing war crimes investigation, the administration has outlawed all party activities. Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's party, which ruled the country for over a decade until her ouster in a mass uprising last year, has been accused of orchestrating violent crackdowns during the July-August 2024 student-led protests that killed close to 1,500 protestors. The Awami League Born out of discontent with the ruling West Pakistani elite, the Awami League was founded on June 23, 1949, in Dhaka. Then called the 'East Pakistan Awami Muslim League', it was a breakaway faction of the Muslim League. The party emerged as a secular, progressive voice for the Bengali population in then East Pakistan. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, a young student activist, became one of its key leaders and later its most iconic figure. The party played a major role in the 1952 Language Movement, demanding Bengali be recognised as one of Pakistan's state languages. It grew its base among students, intellectuals, and rural voters through its populist and regional identity politics. 1970 Pakistan Elections In the 1970 general elections of Pakistan, the Awami League, under 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'. 1971: Formation Of Bangladesh On March 26, 1971, after political negotiations failed, Bangladesh declared independence. Awami League led the freedom movement. Mujibur Rahman was arrested by Pakistani forces. The Awami League-led Mukti Bahini (Liberation Army), backed by India, waged a successful liberation struggle that went on from March to December. Rahman was later released after the war ended. Bangladesh gained independence on 16 December, 1971, with the help of India. Mujibur Rahman was the first President and Prime Minister of the nation. Considered the founding father of Bangladesh, he was hailed as the ' Bangabandhu ' -- Friend of Bengal. 1975: Mujibur Rahman's Assassination The Awami League government struggled 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 that many felt betrayed the ideals of democracy. 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. 1981: Return Of Sheikh Hasina In 1981, Sheikh Hasina, Mujibur Rahman's exiled daughter, returned to Bangladesh and assumed leadership of the party. Through the 1980s, she rebuilt the Awami League from the ground up, allying with student groups, civil society and pro-democracy voices. The party played a key role in the 1990 movement that ended Ershad's dictatorship. In 1996, the Awami League returned to power after 21 years when Hasina became Prime Minister. Her first term was marked by peace deals with tribal groups and infrastructure investment. 2001: Political Turbulence After losing power in 2001, the Awami League accused the BNP-Jamaat alliance of political repression. In 2007, a military-backed caretaker government took over, arresting both Hasina and BNP leader Khaleda Zia under corruption charges. 2009-2023: The Hasina Era The real shift came after 2009, when Sheikh Hasina began her uninterrupted 15-year rule -- making her the longest-serving prime minister in Bangladesh's history. Human rights groups and opposition leaders alleged that her government used authoritarian tactics to cling to power. Elections were marred by allegations of vote rigging, opposition crackdowns became common, and the media faced increasing censorship. Critics accused the Awami League of turning into what it once fought against -- a centralised force intolerant of dissent. She ruled until her ouster in 2024. 2024: Student 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 crackdown instructed by Hasina's Awami League. Sheikh Hasina's government collapsed in August 2024, following pressure from civil society, opposition groups, and defectors within her own party. She resigned on August 5, 2024, and fled the country. By September, an interim administration led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was in place. Now, the Awami League has not only been removed from power, it has been criminalised and banned under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Indian Express
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Mock drills in all 8 Tripura districts tomorrow with civil defence volunteers, home guards, TSR jawans
Amid tensions between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terrorist attack, mock drills will be held on Wednesday in Tripura's all eight districts, as elsewhere in the country, following a central directive. The mock drill also comes amid a suggestion by former Border Guard Bangladesh chief ALM Fazlur Rahman, who is known to be close to Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, that Bangladesh should occupy the seven Northeast states if India attacks Pakistan. Speaking to reporters, Tripura Home Secretary Brijesh Pandey said a meeting was held with officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday regarding the mock drill to be held across 244 civil defence districts of the country to strengthen civil defence mechanisms in the event of an emergency or a hostile attack. 'Civil defence volunteers, apada mitra, home guards, Tripura State Rifles (TSR) jawans and others will participate in the mock drills. The district disaster management authorities will lead the drill… Our main objective is to test preparedness, check efficacy, ability to coordinate with different civil defence units, and other government departments,' Pandey said. 'We have trained civil defence volunteers in all eight districts. This drill will focus on the air raid siren, sirens for evacuation operations, first aid and medical aid, fire fighting and restoration of disrupted services like drinking water, power, etc… We hope people will cooperate and there is nothing to panic about,' the official said. West Tripura District Magistrate Vishal Kumar said that in Agartala, the mock drill would be conducted at the Umakanta Academy grounds from 3:30 pm to 6 pm. The air raid sirens will be sounded at 4.30 pm and at 5.30 pm, an earthquake-like scenario will be created at IGM Chowmuhani, Chowmuhani Fire Brigade, and GBP Hospital in the Bazar area. Agartala is among the Indian state capitals closest to the international border and has an integrated check post within the municipality. Veterans who witnessed the 1971 war have recalled on numerous occasions how Pakistani forces unleashed shelling on the bordering areas, including in Agartala city. Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on three sides along an 856-km border, parts of which are still unfenced owing to local disputes. Tripura played a crucial role in the nine-month-long Bangladesh Liberation War against the Pakistani forces, which concluded after the Mukti Bahini led by Sheikh Mujibar Rahman declared independence on March 26, 1971. A state that then had 15 lakh people, Tripura sheltered nearly 14 lakh East Pakistani refugees, ran at least eight major Muktijoddha (liberation warrior) training camps, and fed and attended to 1.5 million refugees for months with support from the central government. By the 1960s, Tripura had virtually become one of the headquarters of Bangladeshi liberation planning and activity and a haven for liberation war refugees apart from Bengal in those days, not to mention the historic Agartala conspiracy case involving Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's 1963 visit to the Tripura capital and subsequent discussions with then chief minister Sachindra Lal Singha. The visit led to the toppling of then Pakistan president Ayub Khan, added tempo to the rebel activities of the Muktibahini, and eventually played a key role in the birth of an independent Bangladesh. A Bangladesh government in exile was formed at the Agartala Circuit House on April 10, 1971. Swadhin Bangla Betar Kendra was also formed in Agartala. India and Bangladesh officially share friendly relations, though people have of late been taking out border rallies protesting over various issues, especially since the fall of the New Delhi -friendly Sheikh Hasina regime in Dhaka.
