‘Gang of 4 behind Hasina’s fall’

An Awami League leader has blamed Sheikh Hasina’s inner circle, who he described as the “Gang of Four that cut her off from the ground reality”, for her fall and departure, reports The Indian Express.
The Indian Express spoke to several leaders of the party who feel Hasina has abandoned them in such a situation that put their lives in danger with angry mobs targetting their homes and businesses.
“We were able to get out of our homes just in time, when the Army chief was addressing the nation around 3pm and people were glued to TV screens,” one of the Awami League leaders told the Indian newspaper. “My family and I would have been lynched and burnt alive had we been caught,” another leader, who was a minister, said.
The Indian Express said some of the Awami League leaders regretted the turn of events, especially the firing at the students and protesters in July, and then on August 3-4 when people came out on the streets.
One of the leaders alleged that Hasina stopped listening to them, as he blamed her inner circle “the Gang of Four”.
He named Hasina’s son and ICT adviser Sajeeb Wazed Joy, private industry and investment adviser Salman F Rahman, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader and the then home minister Asaduzzaman Khan.
“This Gang of Four led to her downfall. She had blind faith in these people, and lost the political instinct that she had in the past,” The Indian Express quoted him as saying.
The Awami League leaders also described not bringing the BNP on board for the elections in January as Hasina’s “major mistake”.
Citing sources, the newspaper said some AL leaders were put in touch with Tarique Rahman, the BNP acting chairman in exile in London, through intermediaries.
But Hasina did not greenlight the proposal to establish a backchannel with Tarique in January 2023, a year before the elections. Tarique was convicted of plotting the grenade attack that targeted Hasina at an Awami League rally in 2004.
“We could sense the anger among the people due to corruption, chandabaaji (extortion), police atrocities… and getting BNP on board for the elections would have taken that steam off. We could have still won and kept the party in power,” the AL leader told The Indian Express.
Even during the protests in early July, the AL leaders’ bid to make Hasina meet the student movement leaders had failed, it said, citing sources.
“The last nail in the coffin was when the Detective Branch picked up the student leaders in July and released them after intimidating them and extracting a commitment to withdraw the agitation,” the newspaper wrote. “The tactic backfired, and the students made it public how they had been forcibly asked to withdraw the agitation. This triggered a chain of events, leading to her flight from the country.”
The Bangladesh Army in a statement said it had provided shelter to 626 people from different walks of life, including 24 political leaders, five judges, 19 civil administration officials and 28 police officers, after the downfall of Hasina. Several top AL leaders, including members of her cabinet, have been arrested in cases over killings during the protests.
Those who spoke to The India Express also feel the party, which spearheaded Bangladesh’s struggle for independence after its formation 75 years ago, still has the ability to turn around despite the existential crisis.
Fir this to happen, they told the Indian newspaper, Hasina should nominate people on the ground who have a connection with the people. “This is going to be a long haul,” one of the leaders said, talking about the future first steps …. People are still angry… We have to give them time.”