Suspending Hasina’s Awami League and its aftermath

By Nava Thakuria, May 17, 2025

After nine months, the interim government led by  Nobel laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus in Dhaka continues pursuing the final reports by a number of reform commissions with their proposals and subsequent discussions with the political party representatives, where it has  emerged that the situation remains murky.  But initially when the caretaker government was formed following a massive student-led uprising compelled sitting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee (to India) on 5 August last year, a sense of joy and expectation surfaced among the  common Bangladeshi nationals.

Enjoying the overwhelming popularity, Prof Yunus also termed the July-August 2024 (popularly called as Monsoon Revolution) rebellion as the second freedom movement and he went on explaining why  a new Bangladesh is possible with important reforms in various sectors.

The government remains optimistic about the exercises and lately declared  that Bangladesh will go for the next general elections latest by June 2026, even though some political leaders are demanding the polls by December this year itself. Amid political confusions and continued deteriorated law & order situation across the Muslim majority south Asian nation, the government recently witnessed an uproarious situation when a commission (dedicated for the welfare of women) submitted its suggestions advocating more  freedom and benefits to the Bangladeshi ladies. The  Islamist parties, which are now gaining more grounds across the populous country, hit the streets with an unexpected pouring of agitators.

Recently, the government banned all kinds of activities for Awami League, the party which was instrumental in the freedom movement giving birth to sovereign  Bangladesh (out of Pakistan) under a revised anti-terrorism law.

Later the Bangladesh Election Commission suspended the  registration of Awami League, which ruled the country since 2009 (till August 2024), making it loud and clear that the deposed premier Hasina may not be able to participate in the coming polls.

It was followed by a dramatic escape of  former Bangladesh President Mohammad Abdul Hamid to Thailand to avoid legal procedures in his home country. The  former lawmaker belonging to the suspended party has been co-accused in a murder case and remains under police investigation along with many Awami League top leaders. 

Many a time, controversies relating to the integrity of  North-east also surfaces in Bangladesh. The recent one involved Prof Yunus when he commented that there should be an ‘integrated economic plan’ for Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and northeast India’.

He also underlined the potential of cross-border collaboration in various sectors like hydropower, healthcare, tourism and road connectivity. But comments on the integrated economic plan  invited strong reactions from various corners in northeast India. Citing his earlier China visit, where Prof Yunus pursued Beijing for taking a position in making Bangladesh as a key regional partner for production, logistics and trades, the critics expressed annoyance that he unnecessarily brought India’s far-eastern parts under a probable economic roadmap for the advantage of Beijing.

Mentioning northeast India as ‘Seven sisters’, Prof Yunus argued that the landlocked region has ‘no way to reach out’ to the ocean (through the Bay of Bengal), even though he avoided mentioning about the under-construction Kaladan multi-modal riverine project that is designed to connect Sittwe port in western Myanmar with northeast India for trade related activities.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also denounced the statement of Prof Yunus on seven sisters as offensive and condemnable as it endorses the  vulnerability narrative for Siliguri corridor (popularly known as Chicken's neck) to connect North-east through the land route.

Tipra Motha chief Pradyut  Debbarma also criticized Prof Yunus for the provocative statement, saying that North-east is not dependent on anyone for its growth. Deputy leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi and former Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh also termed the Yunus statement as irresponsible.

Responding to the controversy, a close aide of Prof Yunus however clarified that he made this observation from the point of cross border economic perspective and it has nothing to do with politics or integrity of any nation. He  is simply trying to create economic opportunities for the most deserved parts of the region. 

Prof Yunus has  emphasized that the region needs to ‘build things, produce things and market things’.

If Nepal and Bhutan share electricity to Bangladesh it would enhance the production quality and those products may be sent to the regional markets if not for global consumers. China can also be a useful market for Bangladeshi products, which would be cheaper even maintaining the international quality, added the  Yunus aide.