By Uzma Ehtasham
In a dramatic and historic turn, the interim government of Bangladesh has imposed a ban on the Awami League—the political party once heralded as the torchbearer of independence but long since accused of betraying the very ideals it claimed to uphold. With all political activities of the party now suspended until the conclusion of judicial proceedings, and with fresh amendments to the International Crimes Tribunal Act enabling legal action against political entities and their associated institutions, the country’s political landscape stands fundamentally reshaped. At the center of this storm is Sheikh Hasina Wajed, the ousted Prime Minister and daughter of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, both of whom have cast long and divisive shadows over the history of the region. For many Bangladeshis—and certainly for observers across the subcontinent—this moment is being read as a reckoning.
A closing chapter in the long, controversial political legacy of a family whose narrative has never been separated from the complex, often painful, birth of Bangladesh. Sheikh Hasina’s tenure in power, which spanned decades and left few institutions untouched, has ended not with applause or graceful retirement but with banishment and the collapse of her political stronghold. Her removal from power and the outlawing of the Awami League is no small gesture. It is the clearest signal yet that the status quo has ruptured. While her supporters will undoubtedly attempt to paint her ouster as an act of political vengeance, the broader context cannot be ignored. Hasina’s government had grown increasingly autocratic, intolerant of dissent, and aggressively reliant on the patronage of India, to the point where national sovereignty often appeared compromised.
Her alignment with Indian strategic interests, including those that were manifestly anti-Pakistan, fueled long-standing resentment both inside and outside her country. Throughout her rule, Sheikh Hasina cultivated an image of a leader fighting extremism and fostering development. But behind the gloss of high-level diplomacy and infrastructural progress lay a darker undercurrent—one marked by the suppression of religious voices, the judicial persecution of political rivals, and an increasingly stifled press. Religious scholars were hanged under controversial charges. Opposition figures were jailed or silenced. In every direction, she appeared to wield power not as a custodian of democratic ideals but as a dynastic ruler consolidating her family’s control, often with New Delhi’s tacit support.
The irony is unmistakable. Sheikh Hasina often spoke of national pride and sovereignty while overseeing a state that seemed more beholden to foreign influence than ever before. Her relationship with India may have secured her international legitimacy among certain circles, but at home, it left deep wounds—political, ideological, and economic. Many ordinary Bangladeshis saw their country turning into a pliant satellite of Indian policy, while their own voices were increasingly marginalized. But the roots of today’s crisis stretch further back, beyond Sheikh Hasina’s time in power, to her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Revered by many in Bangladesh but regarded with suspicion in Pakistan, Mujibur Rahman remains a polarizing figure in South Asian history.
To some, he is the founding father of a new nation. To others, he is the man who opened the gates for disintegration, sowing seeds of discord that still bear fruit today. His daughter’s political journey, infused with that same spirit of confrontation and isolationism, further entrenched these divisions. Yet history, in its unhurried wisdom, has a way of redrawing the lines. The same forces that once elevated the Awami League now appear to be turning against it. The amendments to the International Crimes Tribunal Act are not mere legal formalities—they are potential instruments of political reckoning. The courtrooms of Dhaka may soon become the arena where decades of grievances are finally articulated and contested. Whether these proceedings will deliver real justice or further inflame divisions remains to be seen.
What is certain, however, is that the age of unquestioned Awami League dominance is over. For Sheikh Hasina, exile is a bitter end to a long and often ruthless political career. It is also a moment of symbolic closure. The leader who once ruled with an iron grip now finds herself unable to remain within the very country she ruled. This is more than a fall from grace—it is an unravelling. A reminder that political power, no matter how absolute it may appear, is ultimately fragile when divorced from the people it claims to serve. There is a cautionary tale here, not just for Bangladesh but for leaders across the world. When governance becomes a vehicle for personal legacy, when foreign alliances override national interest, and when political dissent is met with persecution rather than debate, the walls eventually close in.
No amount of regional backing or international favor can shield a leader from the consequences of a disconnected and authoritarian rule. As Bangladesh navigates this turbulent transition, the path ahead will not be easy. The country will have to contend with its past, confront its present, and chart a future free from dynastic politics and external manipulation. For now, the banning of the Awami League and the departure of Sheikh Hasina signal the end of an era. Whether this marks the beginning of genuine political renewal or simply another cycle of authoritarianism is a question only time can answer. Still, the message is loud and unambiguous: history may move slowly, but it does not forget. Sheikh Hasina, like her father before her, now finds herself not on the commanding heights of power but at the receiving end of judgment—legal, political, and moral. And for a region so often denied justice, that in itself is a moment of profound reckoning.
(The writer is a public health professional, journalist, and possesses expertise in health communication, having keen interest in national and international affairs, can be reached at uzma@metro-morning.com)
