Ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India last week after submitting her resignation amid a student-led mass uprising, started communicating with Awami leaders back at home over the phone and asked them to take the necessary initiative to observe national mourning day on August 15.
The former prime minister made phone calls to her party leaders from India on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and several AL leaders confirmed to 抖阴精品.
They said that Hasina asked them to pay tribute to her father and the country鈥檚 founding president, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, at Dhanmondi-32.
They said that Hasina informed them that party leaders and activists in Gopalganj would observe the day in the district, paying rich tribute to the grave of Sheikh Mujib located in Tungipara of the district.
鈥楳y leader [Hasina] told me that she would come home soon. She asked us not to feel hapless,鈥� a mid-level leader of the AL鈥檚 Dhaka north city unit told 抖阴精品, adding that Hasina asked them to file cases and general diaries with police about recent attacks once the police stations were reopened.
Several AL leaders said that they suspect that Saturday鈥檚 attack on a petrol team of the army in Gopalganj was caused by some excited leaders and activists.
They said that after the AL supporters of Gopalgnaj, the birthplace of Sheikh Hasina, got a message that she would come back home soon, they became emotional and attacked army personnel.
On Sunday night, at least 10 people, including five army personnel and journalists, were injured as AL leaders and activists attacked army members and other people from a demonstration they organised protesting at Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 鈥榝orced resignation.鈥�
A large group of AL leaders, including ministers and lawmakers, have either fled the country or kept their phones switched off since the resignation of Hasina.
Besides, Indian media outlet ThePrint reported that Sheikh Hasina broke her silence by accusing foreign powers like the United States of playing a hand in her ouster. This came days after the Indian government said that it was analysing the possibility of a 鈥榝oreign hand鈥� behind the political crisis in Bangladesh.
鈥業 could have remained in power if I had left St Martins and the Bay of Bengal to America,鈥� she said in a message conveyed to her Awami League supporters Saturday, seen by ThePrint.
The Hasina government saw strained relations with the US for many years. Ahead of January鈥檚 elections this year, she said 鈥榓 white man鈥� had offered her smooth return to power in exchange for an airbase.
In her latest statement, Hasina, the longest-serving prime minister in Bangladesh鈥檚 history, warned the new interim government not be 鈥榰sed鈥� by such foreign powers.
