Awami League ‘party office’ set up in Kolkata: BBC
PARBATTA NEWS DESK
The Awami League has opened an office in a commercial complex in a suburb near Kolkata, West Bengal, for leaders who left Bangladesh after the Aug 5, 2024 mass uprising, BBC Bangla has reported.
Citing party sources, the report said the office is used by senior and mid-level leaders of the Awami League and its affiliates now living in India. Party chief Sheikh Hasina is staying near Delhi, while many others are based in the Kolkata region.
BBC Bangla’s Kolkata correspondent said the office is on the eighth floor of a commercial building in a busy area. The 500–600 sq ft room has no signboard or political images. Leaders said this was intentional to keep the space unidentifiable. Furniture left by the previous tenant is still in use.
Meetings of 30–35 people are held in the office. Larger gatherings take place in rented banquet halls or restaurants, while smaller discussions continue at private residences.
According to the BBC, the Kolkata area now hosts current and former MPs, district and upazila leaders, and heads of affiliated organisations. As of early 2024, around 80 sitting MPs and about a dozen former MPs were staying in the region, along with other professionals, former officials and retired security personnel.
Party activities are coordinated through in-person meetings and online platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram. The Awami League also streams live events, sometimes joined by Sheikh Hasina, to give directives to grassroots activists in Bangladesh.
Former MP Pankaj Debnath told the BBC that virtual communication allows the party to reach workers in remote areas and engage younger members.
Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said the party is focusing on highlighting what it sees as the failures of the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus. He claimed the administration has fallen short in the economy and justice system, and that public interest in it has faded.
Banned Chhatra League president Saddam Hussein, in India since September 2024, told the BBC that many students linked to the party have been unable to attend classes or complete exams over the past year.
Leaders said the party’s activities and members’ expenses in India are funded by contributions from supporters at home and abroad, as well as personal funds from families in Bangladesh.
Asked how long the leadership would remain outside the country, Quader told the BBC there was no fixed timetable, but the political struggle would continue.
