Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is set to meet senior Awami League leaders currently staying in India at a meeting in New Delhi on September 18, marking her first in-person gathering with members of the party’s Central Working Committee since her government was ousted in 2024.
Twenty-one members of the Awami League’s Central Committee who are currently staying in Delhi and Kolkata are expected to attend the meeting. Former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal and former Organising Secretary Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury Nowfel are also expected to be present.
Awami League Presidium Member Mofazzal Hossain Chowdhury Maya confirmed the planned meeting to TIMES on Monday.
“Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina will exchange views with the central leaders staying in India. There is no specific agenda for the discussion,” he said.
However, an Awami League organising secretary based in Europe said the meeting would primarily focus on the party’s organisational situation and Sheikh Hasina’s possible return to Bangladesh.
“Those who are staying in India have been called. In Delhi, the former prime minister will hear directly from the leaders about the organisational situation and their opinions and advice regarding her return to the country,” he said.
The meeting comes amid continued uncertainty over the future of the Awami League following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in 2024. Several senior party leaders have remained outside Bangladesh since the change of government, while the party has faced significant political and organisational challenges at home.
The Delhi meeting is therefore expected to provide an opportunity for the party leadership to assess its current organisational position and discuss its future political strategy.
Sheikh Hasina’s possible return to Bangladesh is also expected to be a key issue in the discussions. The former prime minister has remained in India since leaving Bangladesh following the fall of her government in August 2024.
The September 18 meeting will be closely watched for any indication of the Awami League’s future direction and whether its senior leaders see a possible return by Sheikh Hasina as part of the party’s political strategy.
Dhaka, September 15
COMMENTS