India recently held a closed-door meeting focused on strategies for rehabilitating Awami League, which was ousted from power after a nationwide mass upsurge.
Organized by India’s Ministry of External Affairs on September 20, the meeting included a diverse group of participants such as experts, journalists, bureaucrats, retired diplomats, and academics. Representatives from think tanks like the Observer Research Foundation, Vivekananda Foundation, and the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis also attended, according to a report by the Mirror Asia, a Germany-based online portal.
However, Dhaka Tribune could not independently verify the accuracy of the report.
The primary agenda of the meeting was to ensure the smooth continuation of Indian projects in Bangladesh.
Discussions revolved around the Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) signed between former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and India, with recommendations to the current interim government to uphold these agreements.
However, the conversation soon shifted to the potential "resettlement" of the Awami League.
According to the minutes obtained by The Mirror Asia, concerns were raised about the possibility of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) winning power if elections are held in the next two or three years.
Some participants predicted that the BNP could become unpopular within five years, opening the door for an Awami League comeback similar to its landslide victory in 2009.
India’s role in Bangladesh's political landscape was also discussed, with suggestions that the Awami League should be included in ongoing reforms and future elections.
A think tank representative advised India to consult its "non-political friends" in Bangladesh before formulating any plan for the party’s return.
During the meeting, an intelligence officer revealed that many Awami League leaders, from the central and grassroots levels, have already sought refuge in Indian cities like Delhi, Kolkata, and Agartala, seeking India’s support to resume their political activities in Bangladesh.
However, formal approval from India’s All-Party Parliamentary Committee would be required for the Awami League to operate politically from Indian soil.
Some participants drew parallels to the Awami League’s activities during the 1971 Liberation War, when the party operated from India, holding meetings in Kolkata and Agartala.
A retired diplomat warned that the Awami League’s political activities in India should remain secret to avoid straining relations with Bangladesh’s interim government.
He further suggested that Awami League leaders should be oriented on this matter, as some had publicly claimed that India kept Sheikh Hasina in power since 2014, despite India’s denials.