Banned Awami League Seeks Return from Virtual to Actual Politics

Following the August 5, 2024 uprising, the party lost power and faced a temporary ban on political activities. Parliament passed a bill that made the restriction legally binding. Top leaders of the party remain on the run, with many staying abroad and some in prison, while authorities maintain strict surveillance.

In this constrained situation, Awami League politics has been largely confined to smartphone screens for more than a year and a half. The party has maintained its presence through Facebook posts, statements on X, live discussions, video calls, Zoom meetings, and brief flash processions in alleys. Now, grassroots activists at various levels are increasingly determined to return from the virtual space to the field.

June 23, the party’s founding anniversary, falls on Tuesday. Ahead of the occasion, activists of the banned party have been seen holding flash processions in several parts of Bangladesh over the past few days. Authorities are keeping their movements under close watch. Law enforcement agencies remain alert to prevent any meetings, rallies, or acts of sabotage during the anniversary period. The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has issued a strict warning that any attempt to create disorder will face action. At a press briefing on Sunday, RAB-2 Commander Naymul Hasan said that any Awami League members involved in unrest would be putting themselves at risk.

Political analysts say that while social media posts and videos can temporarily energize supporters, they are not enough to shape public opinion or achieve political objectives. According to them, this reality is now also troubling the party’s policymakers, prompting efforts to return to the streets. However, they believe that in the current context of a severe leadership vacuum, such efforts are unlikely to yield significant results.

Several grassroots and mid-level Awami League leaders contacted through virtual platforms indicated that the party is now emphasizing certain strategic changes. They believe that long-term disconnection from ground politics has created a distance from ordinary people, which could prove politically self-defeating. For this reason, the party appears to be preparing psychologically and organizationally to break out of ‘virtual politics’ and return to the streets ahead of its founding anniversary.

There are specific directives from top leaders currently based in a neighboring country. This year’s anniversary program includes rallies, processions, and various formal events across the country. Within and outside the party, one discussion now dominates, the Awami League no longer wants to rely solely on ‘digital presence’ and is gradually seeking a return to field-level politics.

However, central leaders remain confined to the virtual world. Party chief Sheikh Hasina is set to join virtually an online discussion meeting organized by the Awami League in the United States. Several senior leaders based abroad told the correspondent that the party is currently planning to avoid any major political showdowns or confrontational programs and instead focus on social and humanitarian activities to re-establish a ground presence.

With large rallies under restriction, the party is attempting to mobilize inactive leaders and activists through small, localized ‘pocket meetings’ and tea gatherings. Plans are also being drawn to move away from the culture of late-night underground flash processions and instead organize comparatively larger gatherings in public and visible locations during the daytime. As part of this strategy, rehearsals have already taken place in several areas, including Dhaka and Chattogram.

Two central leaders of the party said the biggest challenge now is overcoming political isolation. They warned that remaining active only on Facebook could eventually turn the party into an NGO- or press-release-driven organization. According to them, the Awami League is a street-based political party. If it does not return to the field despite legal restrictions and risks, its activists will become permanently inactive. For this reason, they said, the process of returning to the streets must begin even at personal risk, and party chief Sheikh Hasina has reportedly issued clear instructions that members may have to face imprisonment if necessary.

This subtle attempt or plan to return to street politics has not gone unnoticed by state security agencies. Ahead of the founding anniversary, law enforcement agencies have not limited their monitoring to cyberspace but have also intensified field-level intelligence surveillance. Arrests have already been made in connection with flash processions.

A source within law enforcement said video footage of flash and clandestine processions is being analyzed to identify those involved. At the same time, cybercrime units remain active around the clock to monitor whether any anti-state or provocative content is being circulated.

Speaking to Agamir Somoy, Dr. Kazi Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman of the Department of Political Science at the University of Dhaka said that stepping out of the ‘safe walls’ of the virtual world into the hot and risky reality of the streets will not be easy for the Awami League. He said the party faces a dual challenge, legal restrictions and fear of arrest on one hand, and restoring the morale of grassroots workers who have long lost access to power on the other.

According to Mahbubur Rahman, senior leaders must first take legal responsibility for their own cases if they want to regain acceptance among grassroots activists. He added that they may even need to go to prison if necessary; otherwise, ordinary workers will not be willing to risk their lives to take to the streets.