On the other hand, it cannot be ruled out that the attacks on liberation war monuments and incidents of harassment and persecution against party leaders and workers in various parts of the country have generated some degree of public sympathy for the party. However, claiming this as evidence of growing popularity would be problematic.
The public will continue to be interested in whether thieves, opportunists and corrupt persons will continue to find shelter under the party’s leadership.
The Awami League has to understand that a large section of the young generation has turned away from it, and overcoming this situation may make it very difficult to re-establish the party in future politics.
How successful the new democratic journey of the Awami League in Bangladesh will be will largely depend on the positive change in leadership, after addressing allegations of killings of students and civilians during the 2024 movement and overcoming the legal complexities arising from the ban on its activities.
However, the main question is how much room his political rivals will allow for such a process.
* Dr. Nadeem Mahmood is a researcher at the University of California
Email: [email protected]
*The opinions expressed here are solely those of the author.
*This article appeared on Prothom Alo Online in Bengali and has been rewritten in English by Ayesha Kabir for Prothom Alo English Online.