With Bangladesh heading to parliamentary elections on February 12, the once-dominant Awami League is absent from the ballot for the first time in decades, raising serious questions about the party\u2019s survival after the fall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.<\/p>\n
Hasina was forced into exile in India following a student-led uprising in 2024 that ended her 15-year rule. Her party was subsequently banned from political activity, and a special tribunal sentenced her to death in absentia over the killing of more than 1,400 protesters.<\/p>\n
Across former Awami League strongholds, party posters have vanished and supporters are divided between boycotting the vote and reluctantly backing other parties. Many fear public anger over years of repression, enforced disappearances and political crackdowns carried out under Hasina\u2019s government.<\/p>\n
The upcoming election is being contested mainly by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami \u2014 both of which were heavily persecuted during Hasina\u2019s rule. Political violence continues to disrupt campaigning, with party leaders killed in recent weeks.<\/p>\n
In Dhaka, the Awami League\u2019s burned-out headquarters now stands abandoned, symbolising the party\u2019s dramatic collapse. Street vendors report strong demand for BNP and Jamaat campaign items, while Awami League supporters largely keep silent.<\/p>\n
Some loyalists insist the party will return, but analysts say its absence from the election may permanently weaken its grassroots base as voters gradually align with local power structures.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Awami League\u2019s return to its former dominance is extremely difficult \u2014 almost impossible,\u201d said political analyst Rezaul Karim Rony, pointing to internal divisions and widespread resentment over Hasina\u2019s authoritarian rule.<\/p>\n
Still, others argue the party\u2019s deep cultural and historical roots could allow a future comeback, noting how Jamaat-e-Islami survived bans and executions of its leaders to re-emerge as a major political force.<\/p>\n
A recent survey suggested the Awami League retains around 11 percent public support, though it remains politically inactive at home. Hasina has instead addressed supporters from India, drawing anger from Dhaka over New Delhi allowing the events.<\/p>\n
US-based analyst Michael Kugelman described the coming vote as \u201can election with an asterisk\u201d without the Awami League, while acknowledging that many Bangladeshis believe the party forfeited its legitimacy through years of repression and manipulated elections.<\/p>\n
Despite its current collapse, Kugelman said dynastic parties in South Asia rarely disappear forever.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor now, the Awami League is essentially dead in the water,\u201d he said. \u201cBut political openings can emerge quickly \u2014 and a future comeback cannot be ruled out.\u201d<\/p>\n
For longtime supporters like boatman Ripon Mridha, the uncertainty is painful. \u201cAn election without the boat symbol doesn\u2019t feel like a real election,\u201d he said, reflecting a mood of loss across much of the party\u2019s former base.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
With Bangladesh heading to parliamentary elections on February 12, the once-dominant Awami League is absent from the ballot for the first time in decades, raising serious questions about the party\u2019s survival after the fall of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Hasina was forced into exile in India following a student-led uprising in 2024 that ended …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":50894,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,26],"tags":[81],"class_list":["post-50893","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion","category-south-asia","tag-headline"],"yoast_head":"\n