Echoes of One-Eleven? Joy Alerts About Renewed ‘Refined Awami League’ Narrative

Sajeeb Wazed Joy, the son of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has alleged that there is an undemocratic effort underway to bring changes to the leadership of the Awami League. He said that “a game is being played from abroad” to change the party’s leadership. However, he did not clarify what exactly he meant by “game” or who is involved in it.

Sajeeb Wazed also dismissed the possibility of any direct leadership role being taken by a member of Sheikh Hasina’s family after her.

When asked whether he wanted to take over the leadership of the party after Sheikh Hasina, he said the party would make the final decision. The Awami League is a democratic party. The party will determine who will lead in the future. Neither he nor anyone else can dictate that. “What is being attempted now is exactly that,” he said. “Right now, a game is being played from abroad to change the party leadership in practice. This is not a democratic process.”

After August 5 of last year, the Awami League has faced a major political crisis in Bangladesh. Most responsible leaders from the central to grassroots levels are in hiding at home and abroad, and a large number of leaders and activists are imprisoned.

Following the recent tribunal verdict sentencing Sheikh Hasina to death, discussions have intensified regarding her political future and the next leadership of the Awami League. After August 5, the idea of bringing forward a “refined Awami League” under new leadership became part of the conversation, although there is strong opposition to such a concept among Awami League leaders and activists loyal to Sheikh Hasina.

Regarding the discussion around a refined Awami League, Sajeeb Wazed Joy said that this idea dates back to the One-Eleven era. A refined Awami League was discussed even then.

Calling the Awami League and BNP the two major parties in the country, he said both parties have fixed vote banks, which no other party has. He added that when a government comes to power in Bangladesh, it is usually one of these two parties.

Raising the question of whose interests the refined concept serves, he said, “A few foreign countries, a few foreign powers, and some members of our civil society want to determine who should be prime minister and who should be the leader for a refined version.”

He questioned whether the people of Bangladesh wanted such a thing.

Explaining further, he said, “They want to impose qualified leadership on the Awami League from outside, filtering the party. Leaders would not be chosen by people’s votes or even by the votes of party activists. That is the conspiracy of the refined Awami League. I do not believe in a refined Awami League. I believe in democracy— the party will decide its own leadership, and the people of the country will decide the nation’s leadership.”

Currently, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is in India and is leading the party from there. Party leaders and activists do not want any leadership change. The Awami League believes there is no suitable environment in Bangladesh to appoint someone inside the country to lead.

Regarding this, Sajeeb Wazed said, “The party leadership still exists; the party president is my mother. She is supported by party leaders and activists. No one has abandoned her. They are united. The party’s leadership is intact, and our party is completely united.”

Political activities of the Awami League are banned in Bangladesh. Most leaders and activists cannot stay in their localities. Due to cases, arrests, and mob threats, the party has no active presence anywhere. There is no scope to publicly hold any Awami League program. At this moment, Sajeeb Wazed Joy is conducting various activities abroad on behalf of the Awami League.

Responding to whether he will take the party leadership, he said that this is also not entirely his own decision. However, many things may happen depending on the situation.

He said, “I actually never wanted to directly enter politics. But with the game that is going on now, no one can say what will happen. But the Awami League must choose its leadership itself— Awami League activists must decide.”

Acknowledging the current crisis within the party, he said his wish right now is not to take leadership but to work toward restoring democracy and peace in the country. According to him, the spirit of the Liberation War is under threat and must be protected first.

He said, “Over the last year and a half, there has been persecution against the Awami League and pro-liberation forces. There is an effort to erase the spirit of the Liberation War. This is still happening in Bangladesh, and it must be confronted. The future will be decided by the people of Bangladesh. What happens within the party will be decided by party activists. My current responsibility is to protect the spirit of the Liberation War.”

Regarding how the leadership crisis within the Awami League will be addressed, he said, “This leadership crisis has been created deliberately. Our leaders have been arrested and imprisoned for a year and a half. Others had to flee the country fearing arrest.”

He mentioned that the Awami League still has massive support in Bangladesh, and people still believe in the spirit of the Liberation War.

The grandson of Bangabandhu said, “You mention leadership, but the Awami League has been banned. We cannot hold any programs, any meetings, let alone elections. The Awami League is a massive party. It cannot be suppressed.”

The Awami League has not clarified who will lead after Sheikh Hasina. Party leaders and activists still believe the party remains united under Sheikh Hasina’s leadership.

Sajeeb Wazed said, “The Awami League is a democratic party. We are not a monarchy where we decide who will lead. The Awami League is the only party that has never said who will come after Sheikh Hasina.”

“That is the greatest strength of the Awami League. We do not accept leadership imposed from above. We rely on the activists and on internal party democracy. No one knows what will happen in the future, who will run, or who will want to lead. During the party council, leadership is elected through ballots. My mother has been elected president every time through this process,” he said.

He mentioned that Sheikh Hasina had told him in the past to consider taking leadership. In his words, no one in the party wants to stand against Sheikh Hasina.

He said, “Everyone wants her (Sheikh Hasina). Yes, many have repeatedly told me to enter politics, and my mother has urged me many times over the last five to ten years. But we all want the party to choose at the right time. Whoever the party wants will stand. Leadership will be elected through ballots within the party.”

Recently, at the grassroots level, the name of Saima Wazed Putul has also come up regarding future party leadership. As members of the Bangabandhu family, Sheikh Rehana and her children are also active in politics. Awami League activists prefer to see future leadership remain within the Mujib family.

Regarding members of the Sheikh family taking leadership, Sajeeb Wazed said, “Many in our family are established abroad. We all have completed our education. All five siblings in our family have at least a master’s degree and have their own earnings abroad. To do politics, one must have the desire for politics. Tulip had the desire and did politics in England. She never did politics in Bangladesh.”

When asked about the possibility of Saima Wazed Putul leading the Awami League, Sajeeb Wazed said there is discussion, but the reality is different. “People think about my sister in this regard. But she does not really have any such desire for politics, as far as I know. This assumption is wrong.”

He noted that the issue of party leadership from within the family has gained importance in their discussions after August 5. According to him, family members are being targeted with cases to disqualify them from elections.

He said, “They are filing false cases against us so that we may be convicted, so that we cannot participate in elections. The main intention is to prevent any of us from contesting.”

Notably, a Dhaka court has sentenced Sheikh Hasina to 21 years in prison and Putul and Joy to five years each in a case alleging the misuse of power to obtain a government plot. Political activities of the Awami League are currently banned in Bangladesh. There is a significant possibility that the Awami League may be excluded from the upcoming February 2026 elections.

Regarding the party’s position on elections, Sajeeb Wazed said it is clear: “We will not allow such a staged election that excludes half the country’s voters. We will resist. They have left us no alternative. When you corner someone from all sides, the only option left is movement.”

There has been criticism that the Awami League has shown no remorse regarding the casualties of the July riots. When asked whether the Awami League would apologize to the nation, Sajeeb Wazed said, “Will they let everything go if we apologize? If the Awami League government had any responsibility for what happened in July, then there must be a clear investigation.”

He said, “My mother was then the prime minister. She formed a judicial commission to investigate all the killings because not only students and civilians were killed — police officers and Awami League activists were also killed. There must be a clear investigation to determine who is responsible.”

Sajeeb Wazed said, “If justice is to be done, then all killings from August 5 to August 15 must also be investigated. But the Yunus government has granted indemnity for those events. On one hand, you ask the Awami League to apologize, and on the other, you pardon those who killed police officers and Awami League activists. How does that work? If that is the case, what is the point of the Awami League apologizing?”

Source: BBC