In the face of the anti-discrimination student movement, Sheikh Hasina resigned from the post of Prime Minister and fled to India on August 5. As soon as the incident of his resignation came to light, the leaders from the Awami League center to the Trinamool went into hiding.

Recently, many people have started talking openly about the fall of the Hasina government. Some of their leaders gave an interview to a leading Indian media.

One of them claimed that a special interest group within the party was responsible for the downfall of the Awami League government. He said, “Sheikh Hasina gave more importance to the advice of a group called ‘Gang of Four’ than our advice. This group did not allow Sheikh Hasina to understand the real situation.”

When asked about the ‘Gang of Four’, the leader said, “These four are Sheikh Hasina’s son Sajib Wazed Joy, investment advisor Salman F Rahman, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, and former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan.”

An Awami League leader further stated, “This group of four led to her (Hasina’s) downfall. She had blind faith in these individuals, and as a result, she lost the innate political wisdom she once possessed.”

The Indian Express reported that in the past week, they managed to speak with several Awami League leaders who have gone into hiding. These leaders unanimously agreed that “Hasina has abandoned both the party and the people.”

One Awami League leader expressed that Hasina’s refusal to maintain contact with the BNP chairperson’s son was a “grave mistake.” According to him, the BNP was preparing to participate in the election under a caretaker government. If the BNP had been brought into the election, it might have alleviated the anger and frustration of the opposition.

The leader added, “We were aware of the public resentment caused by corruption, extortion, oppression, and police brutality. If we had managed to bring the BNP into the electoral process, it might have quelled that anger. In that scenario, we could have won again, and the party could have stayed in power.”

The leaders said that after the fall of Sheikh Hasina, many Awami League leaders, workers and intellectuals across the country have taken refuge in various military cantonments fearing security and loss of life. The number of these asylum seekers was as many as 626 people, including people from different classes and professions. They include 24 Awami League leaders, 5 judges, 19 civil administrative officers, 28 police officers, 487 policemen of various ranks, 12 officers of various public universities and 51 families.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Hasina’s investment adviser Salman F Rahman and former law minister Anisul Haque were arrested while trying to flee the country. Former Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmood was arrested while trying to go abroad.

After the departure of Sheikh Hasina, many senior leaders of her party went into hiding, some were even arrested. Leaders feel that the 50-year-old party, which has ruled the country for more than 15 consecutive years, is now facing an existential crisis.