With the Donald Trump administration halting the United States Agency For International Development (USAID) funding to Bangladesh, the country’s ex-prime minister Sheikh Hasina finds herself ‘validated’. A senior leader and an MP of Awami League, who does not want his name to be revealed called the decision as the one which “reflects the truth of the interim government" in Bangladesh, reports New 18.
He told News18 that the party’s leaders, workers are still “united" and can “fight back" as and when the elections are announced.
“Sheikh Hasina is our guide. We will not leave her, we will not leave our country in their (interim govt’s) hands. Our people know what she did for the country. She is still loved," the senior leader said.
Eight months in exile, Hasina, the seasoned politician and the chief of the Awami League, is far from retreating. Sheikh Hasina has swiftly pivoted to regroup her party’s core network, adopting unconventional strategies to sustain her grip on her colleagues, cadres and ensure her political survival.
Spread across Indian cities — primarily Delhi, Kolkata and Bangalore — and also in other foreign countries, the core members of her party are still in touch with her. They also hold virtual meetings as and when needed, News 18 has learnt.
In a carefully crafted response to the political blow last August, Hasina has minimised her interactions even with her colleagues, but she has been staying closely connected to a select group of trusted Awami League leaders since then.
Using secure communication platforms designed to evade VPN tracking, she has now orchestrated a robust chain of command across multiple cities and other locations where key party members are stationed on health and education visas. According to sources, some of her senior party colleagues and close bureaucrats, shunted by the interim government, have been in foreign countries seeking cooperation on strategic grounds.
Over a dozen or more encrypted groups on different platforms, restricted to senior leaders, activists and close civil society members have now become the backbone of the Awami League’s communication network.
These groups serve as a discreet platform for critical discussions, planning, security management and dissemination of party directives, ensuring that Hasina authority resonates through her cadres and they stay “motivated". The occasional press statements by Hasina through Awami League’s social media handles have made the cadres up and running, said another senior politician of the party.
Her methods signal a shift to a more covert and decentralised leadership approach, reflecting her ability to adapt and strategise amidst an evolving political landscape.
The Trump administration’s decision to suspend USAID funding to Bangladesh might appear as a blow to the country’s financial and global standing, but for Sheikh Hasina, it offers a strategic advantage in her ongoing tussle with Nobel Laureate and Bangladesh’s interim government chief Muhammad Yunus.
The funding cut, primarily seen as a reprimand over the political unrest, labour rights concerns and democratic backsliding, also delivers a direct hit to Yunus-linked civil society networks that rely on such international aid.
But for Hasina this development aligns with her broader efforts. The suspension disrupts the operational and financial flow to organisations that have historically bolstered Yunus’ standing, thereby narrowing the space for his soft power, said the Awami League leader.
“We would use such situations to consolidate our position, rallying global support slowly but systematically," he said.
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