The Awami League, led by Sheikh Hasina, held power for 15 and a half years, starting in 2008. Despite securing another victory in the January 7, 2024 elections, the government collapsed on August 5, following a student-led coup. Since then, several leaders, including former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, have either fled the country or gone into hiding.

On June 23, the Awami League marked its 75th anniversary with a rally in Dhaka's Suhrawardy Udyan, which was filled with leaders and supporters. However, just two months later, the political landscape dramatically shifted.

After the fall of the government, enraged citizens vandalised and set fire to party offices, including the Awami League’s central office and others nationwide. Homes and businesses of MPs, ministers, and other influential figures were also targeted. In a shocking act of destruction, Bangabandhu’s residence on Dhanmondi 32 and the Bangabandhu Museum were burned. At the Awami League’s central office on Bangabandhu Avenue, protesters replaced the party sign with one proclaiming the site as the "Office of the Student and People’s Movement." Across the country, around 1,500 statues and murals of Bangabandhu were also destroyed.

Public anger toward the Awami League has intensified, with most leaders fleeing the scene after the government’s fall. Leaders from every level, including those of the Chhatra League, Jubo League, Swechchasebak League, and Sramik League, are now in hiding. Senior party figures are placing the blame on a select few, accusing them of focusing on personal enrichment rather than the party’s strength. These leaders, they argue, sidelined dedicated members, concentrating power in a small elite circle. This neglect caused many loyal leaders to step back from politics, and others to remain silent out of frustration over being overlooked in favor of opportunists.

Key figures, such as Sheikh Hasina’s former adviser Salman F. Rahman, General Secretary Obaidul Quader, Central Awami League member Mohammad Arafat, and former ministers Nasrul Hamid Bipu and Zunaid Ahmed Palak, are being heavily criticised for their role in the party’s downfall. Accusations of prioritising wealth over merit and selling nominations to wealthy individuals rather than loyal members have surfaced.

On August 5, following widespread unrest, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India with her sister, Sheikh Rehana. Many other central leaders, ministers, and MPs followed suit, fleeing abroad or going into hiding. Some were arrested in their escape attempts, while several police officers who were seen as partisan are now also in hiding. Over the last 16 years, corrupt officials are believed to have accumulated billions through illicit practices.

The aftermath of this upheaval has left the Awami League facing its most challenging period since 1975, with the party struggling to regain public support. Many within the party attribute its collapse to corrupt and self-serving leaders. From local to central levels, corruption and embezzlement were widespread, with fake projects being used to siphon billions. Fearing retribution, no one dared to speak out against internal corruption. As a result, opportunistic leaders exploited the situation, ignoring the contributions of the party's loyal members.

Multiple sources within the party indicate that the leadership has long prioritised business interests over political loyalty. Many parliamentary seats were essentially sold to businessmen, and even at local levels, wealthy individuals were often granted nominations. The party’s advisory committee, which was once composed of experienced politicians, was sidelined by "hybrid" leaders who kept senior figures away from Sheikh Hasina, cutting her off from the real situation on the ground.

The fall of the government has exposed the party’s weakened internal structures. After being in power for so long, the Awami League's various wings have lost their ability to function effectively. Even a month after the government's collapse, no official statement has been made by the party, highlighting the paralysis within its ranks. To revive the Awami League, a comprehensive reorganisation is urgently needed, with emphasis on grassroots mobilisation and the involvement of experienced leaders.

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Author: Mahmudur Rahman Shanur,
Journalist, and Community Worker.