Bangladesh’s political landscape has taken another unexpected turn after BNP lawmaker Nasir Uddin Chowdhury called the Awami League an ally and suggested that the two parties could eventually merge. His comments came just days after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made her first major public appearance since leaving Bangladesh in 2024 and announced plans to return to the country later this year.
Chowdhury, the BNP MP from Sunamganj-2, made the remarks while addressing a party rally in Derai on Thursday. He described the Awami League as a political ally and said the two groups had fought together during the 1971 Liberation War. He went further to suggest that an eventual merger between the BNP and Awami League could take place.
However, Chowdhury’s position does not appear to represent the broader stance of the BNP or the Bangladesh government. The report noted that his comments have emerged as an individual position rather than an established party policy.
Hasina announces possible December return
The political debate follows Sheikh Hasina’s public appearance in New Delhi on August 5, when she addressed a press event organised by the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia. It was her first public interaction in roughly two years following the political upheaval of 2024.
During the event, Hasina said she wanted to return to Bangladesh in December. She has been living in India since leaving Bangladesh after the 2024 protests that brought down her government.
Her announcement has drawn strong reactions from the current BNP-led government, which has previously sought her extradition from India.
BNP leadership rejects Hasina’s political messaging
BNP Senior Joint Secretary General and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s political adviser Ruhul Kabir Rizvi criticised Hasina’s Delhi appearance, alleging that the timing and platform were deliberately arranged to undermine the memory of those killed during the July 2024 uprising.
Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry also criticised the event, arguing that allowing Hasina to make political statements from Indian territory undermined Bangladesh’s sovereignty and negatively affected bilateral relations between Dhaka and New Delhi.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh’s Acting President Hafiz Uddin Ahmed also responded to Hasina’s stated intention to return in December. He said the authorities were waiting for her return and made clear that her arrival would be met with a political confrontation.
The latest developments have added another layer to Bangladesh’s already unsettled political environment, with Hasina’s proposed return, the future of the Awami League and the BNP’s position toward its former political rival now becoming subjects of renewed debate.
