Last Updated on February 28, 2026 6:21 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
Zakir Hossain from Dhaka
Even as it remains officially banned, ousted former PM Sheikh Hasina’s Bangladesh Awami League (BAL or AL) party has begun making calibrated moves on the ground, reopening party offices in several districts in what leaders describe as an attempt to “assess the environment” under the new BNP-led government.
From the day after the February 12 parliamentary election, locks have quietly come off more than a dozen district and metropolitan party offices. In some locations, activists have hoisted party flags and displayed portraits of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and party chief Sheikh Hasina. In others, slogans were raised outside still-shuttered offices, a symbolic show of presence without fully resuming operations.
Party insiders say the steps are aimed at gauging the response of the newly elected government. The interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus had, on May 10, 2025, issued an executive order banning the Awami League’s activities. With its registration suspended, the party was barred from contesting the 13th national election, which the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) won decisively.
According to senior Awami League sources, Sheikh Hasina, currently in India, has advised leaders inside Bangladesh to “gradually become active.” Mid- and lower-tier leaders at district and city levels have taken the lead in reopening offices. Some party leaders claim that in a few instances, local BNP functionaries offered tacit approval, though there has been no official acknowledgment from the ruling party.
On Monday, BNP secretary general and local government minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told reporters in Dhaka, “We did not want this. Since their activities are legally banned, the matter will be dealt with accordingly everywhere.”
Bail developments lift morale: The Awami League government fell on August 5, 2024, amid a mass uprising, after which many party leaders and workers were arrested. While a number of lower-tier activists have secured bail over the past months, senior leaders and former lawmakers continue to face legal hurdles. In several cases, release in one case was followed by re-arrest in another.
Days before the February polls, former Thakurgaon-1 MP and ex-minister Ramesh Chandra Sen died in custody. On February 19, former Thakurgaon-2 MP Dabirul Islam, reportedly in poor health, was granted bail after nearly 18 months in jail. Earlier, on February 18, former MP and Barishal metropolitan Awami League vice-president Jebunnessa Afroz, along with two others, secured bail. On February 23, former MP and Barishal district Awami League general secretary Talukdar Mohammad Yunus surrendered before a court and was released on bail.
A senior Awami League leader speaking from India said, “Top leaders or those facing International Crimes Tribunal cases may not get relief immediately. But if mid-level leaders are freed, organisational activity will regain momentum.” Party sources also indicated outreach efforts to international forums and influential countries to ease legal pressure. If the bail process normalises, some leaders currently abroad may consider returning, they said.
Reclaiming space, cautiously: In Panchagarh’s Chaklahat area, a local party office was reopened in the presence of a BNP leader a day after the election. By last Saturday, at least 12 district and metropolitan offices had reportedly resumed limited operations, along with several at upazila and union levels.
In Dhaka’s Dhanmondi neighbourhood, activists of the Jubo Mohila League raised slogans outside the party president’s political office, displaying the national flag and a portrait of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. However, there have also been incidents of banners being torn down in some areas.
The party’s three key offices in Dhaka, the central office in Gulistan, the chief’s political office in Dhanmondi, and the Tejgaon office near the truck stand, were torched or vandalised during the August 2024 unrest. Nearly 18 months later, they remain abandoned, with the Gulistan headquarters reportedly reduced to a shelter for the homeless. Party sources say Hasina has expressed frustration during online meetings over the inability to reclaim at least the central office.
A calculated strategy: Political observers describe the Awami League’s approach as a dual strategy: signalling grassroots presence while carefully testing the government’s reaction. Political analyst Mohiuddin Ahmed said the party still commands a significant support base. “Though the party called for abstention, many supporters voted. Expecting some understanding from those they backed is not unusual,” he said. However, he cautioned that long-term politics cannot be sustained from exile. “Effective leadership must emerge within the country. Whether an understanding can be reached with the current power structure remains to be seen.” For now, the ban on the Awami League remains in force. But the reopening of party offices suggests the party is seeking to reinsert itself into Bangladesh’s political landscape, cautiously, and one step at a time.