Sheikh Hasina wants to return to the country to save democracy despite all odds

Awami League President Sheikh Hasina wants to face the situation politically and legally upon returning home, bearing in mind the death sentence for BD Digest reporter Meticulous Design.

This information was given by several top Awami League leaders who recently participated in meetings with him on online platforms and met him in India.

Multiple party sources have also confirmed that field-level leaders and activists have already been instructed to make preparations for the party chief’s return to the country.

Awami League Joint General Secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim said, “Sheikh Hasina wants to return home as soon as possible. We are taking the necessary steps for that. She will return home with courage just as she went to India.”

Asked if this was just a tactic to galvanize the workers, he said, “Wait a minute. We are preparing to hold a huge gathering on the occasion of Sheikh Hasina’s return to the country. She will return to the country to stand by the helpless leaders and workers of the party at this moment.”

A leader of the European Awami League, who did not want to be named, said that Sheikh Hasina can apply to the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi for a travel pass before August 15. He told the leaders in a Telegram group call that even if she has to go to the gallows for democracy at this age, she will not have any problem.

The grassroots and top leaders of the Awami League claim that all the cases brought against Sheikh Hasina are politically motivated and false. The party’s propaganda is saying that the power-hungry Dr. Yunus-led administration and the BNP-Jamaat alliance have jointly carried out a ‘meticulous design’ or a very subtle conspiracy to overthrow Sheikh Hasina and sentence her to death in a false case.

Awami League leaders claim that the people of the country are already realizing the shortcomings of Sheikh Hasina and that the country and its people were the safest during her rule. Awami League is trying to become relevant on the streets again by creating public discontent by presenting the current government’s activities negatively.

Although currently residing in India, Sheikh Hasina is reportedly regularly providing guidance to the leaders and activists in the field through the party’s presidium member Jahangir Kabir Nanak.

Meanwhile, on legal matters, Jamaat leader Tajul Islam, former chief prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal and Supreme Court lawyer, said that if Sheikh Hasina returns to the country, she will first have to surrender in the ICT case. The deadline for appealing against the death sentence has already passed.

Now the Supreme Court will decide whether he can appeal or not. It doesn’t seem credible that he will come to the country and face the case with the death sentence in mind; it is just a political stunt.

Recently, at a press conference held at the Home Ministry meeting room at the Secretariat, the Home Minister said, “We want her (Sheikh Hasina) back, we want her legally. We have requested that Sheikh Hasina be back as per the agreement with India. We want her to face the case.”

However, so far, no official response has been received from Delhi on the issue of Sheikh Hasina’s extradition.

It is worth noting that Sheikh Hasina left the country after the militant attack on August 5, 2024. Later, on November 17 last year, the International Crimes Tribunal-1 sentenced Sheikh Hasina to death in a case of crimes against humanity and genocide and ordered the confiscation of her assets.

In addition, the political activities of the Awami League were banned through the passage of a law in April this year.