Exiled Awami League members in Kolkata plot political comeback to Bangladesh politics amid party ban and February 2026 elections, with Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi coordinating efforts.
Exiled AL Leaders in India Eye Bangladesh Polls:
As Bangladesh gears up for its pivotal February 12, 2026, elections-the first since the 2024 uprising that toppled Sheikh Hasina’s government-exiled Awami League (AL) members in India are orchestrating a defiant return to politics. Meeting in Kolkata’s bustling malls and cafes, these figures, facing charges ranging from murder to corruption back home, are strategizing a revival while keeping close ties with Hasina in New Delhi. This underground effort highlights the fragility of Bangladesh’s democratic transition, risks reigniting political violence in a nation still healing from months of unrest, and tests India’s delicate balancing act as it hosts fugitives while seeking stable ties with Dhaka-potentially influencing regional security and the fate of millions displaced by instability.
How Exiled AL Leaders Plot Bangladesh Comeback?
The resurgence plot came to light through reports in early February 2026, as Bangladesh’s election campaign heated up. According to investigations by The Guardian and other outlets, more than 600 Awami League politicians and activists have sought refuge in Kolkata since Hasina’s ouster. They convene in public spaces like shopping mall food courts, discussing revival strategies over coffee while evading arrest warrants from Dhaka.
Key figures include former Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud, who addressed media in New Delhi on January 18, 2026, warning that excluding the AL would destabilize Bangladesh. Other exiles, like party spokesperson Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, maintain contact with Hasina, who issued a statement on January 29 denouncing the polls as illegitimate. Hasina, from her undisclosed location in India, claimed the interim government disenfranchised millions by barring her party.
The timeline began with the July-August 2024 student-led uprising against Hasina’s 15-year rule, marked by allegations of authoritarianism and election rigging. Protests escalated into violence, killing hundreds, forcing Hasina’s flight to India on August 5. An interim government under Yunus took over, banning the AL from elections in December 2025 citing its role in suppressing dissent. Exiles fled en masse, with Kolkata becoming a hub due to its proximity and Bengali cultural ties.
By February 2026, these meetings had evolved into structured planning. Reports describe groups debating Hasina’s potential return as a “hero,” with some advocating underground campaigns to rally supporters in Bangladesh. No concrete actions like candidate filings have occurred, as the ban remains in force.
From Quota Protests to Power Shift:
The Awami League’s exile stems from Bangladesh’s turbulent 2024 revolution, triggered by student protests against job quotas favoring AL loyalists. What began as economic grievances swelled into a mass movement against Hasina’s perceived dictatorship, with security forces accused of killing over 600 protesters. Hasina, daughter of independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, had ruled since 2009, winning four elections marred by opposition boycotts and rigging claims.
Her flight to India on August 5, 2024, marked the end of AL dominance. India, a historic ally during the 1971 liberation war, granted her asylum, straining ties with the new Yunus-led interim government. Yunus, a Nobel laureate, formed reform commissions and scheduled elections for February 2026, excluding the AL to prevent “fascist” resurgence.
Historically, the AL has been Bangladesh’s founding party, but its recent era saw crackdowns on rivals like the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Exiles now leverage India’s Bengali diaspora for support, echoing past political revivals-like Hasina’s own return from exile in the 1980s.