Awami League President and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has indicated significant changes in the leadership of the Awami League, emphasising the need to sideline leaders disconnected from the grassroots and bring in a new generation capable of connecting with local realities and the youth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a rare exclusive interview with Bengali news portal The Wall<\/a> published on Monday, Sheikh Hasina said the party would heed calls from its base for reform. She stated: \u201cThe message coming from our grassroots level is absolutely clear…some leaders who were supposed to serve have lost contact with ordinary people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She described the demand for new leadership as “reasonable,” adding: \u201cA new generation of leadership needs to emerge from all parts of Bangladesh. Not just Dhaka’s elite circles, but voices from every district who understand local realities. The demand for new leadership is reasonable. One cannot expect different results by returning with the same faces.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sheikh Hasina stressed that the Awami League is not a family dynasty, declaring: \u201cThe Awami League is never just my family’s party. It is the party of those millions of ordinary Bangladeshis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She added that any greater role for her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, or daughter, Saima Wazed, would have to be earned through merit and internal democratic processes: \u201cIf Sajeeb or Saima take on more important responsibilities, it will be based solely on merit and the party’s democratic processes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Interview With Reuters: President Shahabuddin says his voice has been stifled<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Bangladesh Judiciary Under Yunus: A tale of two justices\u2014vengeance vs impunity<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n From Interim Savior to Civil War Architect: Yunus\u2019 deadly dance with ISI and Jamaat<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n New leaders, she said, must bridge generational divides, master both on-ground organising and digital communication, and adapt to changing realities without compromising the party’s principles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her comments come against the backdrop of allegations of external pressure on the party’s leadership. In a separate interview with BBC Bangla on November 29, 2025, Sajeeb Wazed Joy accused foreign powers of orchestrating an undemocratic effort to force changes in the leadership of Bangladesh’s major parties, including the Awami League and the BNP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Joy described this as a “sinister game” undermining democracy, particularly under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus. He firmly rejected any imposed changes, insisting: \u201cWe are a democratic party. The party will determine who the future leadership will be. Neither I nor anyone else can dictate this from above.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n On President’s Resignation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sheikh Hasina viewed President Mohammed Shahabuddin’s announced <\/a>resignation as evidence of the collapse of constitutional order under the interim government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sheikh Hasina: Extradition request should follow the law, not politics<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sheikh Hasina lambasts Yunus-Jamaat clique for demeaning Victory Day<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sheikh Hasina accuses Yunus of engineering killings<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n She accused Yunus of systematically dismantling institutions, stating: \u201cPresident Shahabuddin’s resignation decision clearly shows the impossible situation he was in… All these are signs of Bangladesh’s state apparatus crumbling under an unelected regime.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She concluded: \u201cThe best way forward is to allow the people of Bangladesh to choose their leaders through free, fair, and inclusive elections where all political parties can participate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n On December 11, in a rare public expression of distress, President Shahabuddin articulated profound feelings of humiliation and marginalisation under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus. Shahabuddin said that this decision stems from a deepening sense of sidelining by the Yunus-led regime, which he describes as having eroded his dignity and authority through deliberate acts of exclusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite his position\u2019s constitutional weight, Shahabuddin notes that Yunus has not met him for nearly seven months, his press department was stripped away, and in September, his portraits were abruptly removed from Bangladeshi embassies, consulates, and high commissions worldwide. This overnight elimination sent a chilling message, implying his own impending removal and fueling perceptions of instability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Concerns Over Political Anarchy and Civil War Risks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Dismissing accusations that the Awami League is fomenting instability, Sheikh Hasina warned of extremists encouraged by the interim government creating chaos. She said: \u201cThe people of Bangladesh do not want civil war; they want their voting rights restored.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Diplomats demand enhanced security amid surge in extremism under Yunus<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Rights groups want Nobel Committee to react to violations under Yunus<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n