Four mighty people drowned Hasina

Hasina told Indian Express

Asifiqbal Thakoor, Delhi: ‘I can’t meet you’; ‘I’m in hiding, I can talk on the phone’; ‘I will try to meet you somewhere safe’; “Your movements will be monitored, so I don’t know if I will be able to meet you.”
These are some of the messages sent by the ousted Sheikh Hasina along with some leaders of her party Awami League and intelligence members associated with the former government; which was obtained by The Indian Express.
The Indian Express has been able to meet some of these people in undisclosed locations over the past week and speak to some who are in hiding for fear of retaliation from the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami.
These people have the same words, “Hasina has abandoned the party and the people.” Among them, an Awami League leader said, “You (Hasina) have left us.”
A leader of Awami League said, “We understood the anger created by the people due to corruption, extortion, torture and police brutality. If the BNP was raised in the electoral field, the anger could have been stopped. Then we could have won again and the team would have been in power.
Many others are sharing the same feeling of Sheikh Hasina leaving the leaders and workers. They could not foresee the events of August 5. That day, Hasina fled to India with her sister Sheikh Rehana. Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajib Wazed Joy is currently in the United States and daughter Saima Wazed is in India.
According to multiple sources in Awami League, Hasina’s decision to leave the country has “completely surprised” her cabinet members and even close associates. A leader said, “We know this from television news.”
The lives of leaders and activists are in danger due to Hasina’s departure
Thus, the departure of Sheikh Hasina has put the lives of Awami League leaders and workers in danger. “Protesters, BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami activists and opportunists” targeted Awami League leaders’ houses, businesses and party offices. Arson, looting; Vandalism is carried out.
A leader of Awami League said, ‘(After Sheikh Hasina left on August 5) we only get a chance to leave the house for a time. It was when the army chief addressed the nation at around three o’clock and people were watching the television screen to hear it.
This group of four led to his (Hasina’s) downfall. He had blind faith in these people. He lost the innate political wisdom he had because of them.
Another leader and minister (of the former government) said, “If I and my family members were caught, people would burn us alive.”
During Awami League’s 15-and-a-half-year rule, Sheikh Hasina’s government targeted, jailed, beat, intimidated and harassed opposition party leaders. But then the situation suddenly changed.
Looking back at the most recent events (Sheikh Hasina’s fall and exodus), some have lamented the course of events (Hasina’s government), especially the firing on students and protesters last July. Later, on August 3-4, students took to the streets. On August 5, the protesters broke the curfew. The government fell that day.
Gang of Four
One of the leaders in hiding for the fall of the Awami League government blamed an interest group within the party and said, “She (Sheikh Hasina) did not listen to us.” One of the leaders termed this group as the ‘Gang of Four’. He said that the group did not allow Sheikh Hasina to understand the real situation.
These four leaders are Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajib Wazed Joy, investment adviser Salman F Rahman, Awami League general secretary Obaidul Quader and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan.
The leader of Awami League said, “This group of four people led her (Hasina) downfall.” He had blind faith in these people. The innate political wisdom that he had, he lost because of them.
The Indian Express has been able to meet some of these people in undisclosed locations over the past week and speak to some who are in hiding for fear of retaliation from the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami. Their common words, ‘Hasina has abandoned the party and the people.’
Not bringing BNP into the election is a ‘big mistake’.
Not bringing BNP in the general elections held in January this year is being described as a ‘big mistake’ by Sheikh Hasina.
Sources said that some Awami League leaders were in contact with BNP chairperson and former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s son Tariq Rahman in London through intermediaries.
According to a source, the proposal (to bring BNP to the polls) was also made through a back channel. We believe that the channel was established in January 2023, a year before the January 2024 elections to maintain communication with Tarek…but Hasina did not give the green signal to the proposal.
According to an Awami League leader, Hasina’s refusal to maintain contact with the BNP chairperson’s son was a ‘catastrophic mistake’. Because BNP was preparing to come to the polls under a caretaker government. If BNP was brought into the election, the anger of the opposition might have been resolved.
The leader also said, ‘We understood the anger created by the people due to corruption, extortion, torture and police brutality. If the BNP was raised in the electoral field, that anger could have been stopped. Then we could have won again and the team would have been in power.’
Leaders-activists think that Sheikh Hasina became more stubborn especially after winning the last January election and did not take any advice. In this context, the leader said, “After winning for the fourth time in a row, she (Hasina) became overconfident and failed to understand the level of anger created by the movement over the quota reforms.”
Sources said some leaders strategically urged Hasina to hold talks with the student protesters in early July. But he rejected it. The final nail in the (Hasina government’s) coffin came when, in the same month, members of the intelligence wing of the police picked up the student leaders and released them by intimidation and forcing them to withdraw their agitation programme.
This strategy backfired. Student leaders made public how promises were coerced to withdraw the programme. This triggered a series of incidents and Hasina was forced to leave the country.
After the fall of Sheikh Hasina, many Awami League leaders-activists and intellectuals took refuge in various cantonments across the country in fear of their lives.
Among these 626 people who took refuge were people from various professions. Among them were 24 leaders of Awami League, 5 judges, 19 officials of civil administration, 28 police officers, 487 policemen of various positions, 12 people of various professions including officials of various public universities and 51 families.
Sheikh Hasina’s investment adviser Salman F Rahman, former law minister Anisul Haque were arrested while trying to flee the country. Former Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud was arrested while going abroad.
With the departure of Hasina, senior leaders of her party went into hiding, some were arrested. The leaders say that the 50-year-old party that has ruled the country for more than 15 years is now in crisis of existence.
Meanwhile, one of the leaders of Awami League said about the first step in organizing the party, “He (Hasina) will have to select people from the grassroots level to reorganize the party, among them will be some young Awami leaders; People who have confidence in the field, people who are connected and of course loyal to the family (Hasina)…it will be a long journey.’
The leader also said, “We have a strong base and workforce. Many have gone astray, as have opportunists. So will the fans. But we need to have at least some such individuals or groups; Those who will interact with the interim government and participate in the elections whenever they happen. This is what is needed now.’
He pointed to the role of some leaders like BNP’s Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Abdul Moin Khan, Ameer Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Ruhul Kabir Rizvi in taking control of the party in this situation. He said that they managed the stronghold of BNP when Khaleda Zia was in jail and Tariq Rahman was abroad.
Leaders of the party feel that Hasina’s family and her successor Sajib Wazed Joy should give a minimum statement as there is an anti-Sheikh Hasina and Awami League sentiment in the country.
One of the leaders of Awami League said, “People are still angry. We have to give them time. No matter how many years the interim government or the BNP or Jamaat-led government stays in power, we have the ability to turn around. But in the long term we have to think about regrouping.