On the first anniversary of the mass uprising that unseated her from power, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina broke her silence with a defiant message, declaring she remains the legitimate Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Her statement came hours before her scheduled address on the Awami League’s official Facebook page at 9:30 pm (BDT) Tuesday, challenging the authority of the interim government led by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus.
“I did not resign. I was forced to leave power,” Hasina stated, reigniting political tensions just as the Yunus administration was celebrating the anniversary as a milestone in Bangladesh’s democratic journey. Her comments have reopened debates over the legitimacy of her removal and the events that followed.
On August 5 last year, amid a rapidly escalating uprising, Hasina left Dhaka by helicopter and took exile in India — a moment that marked the end of her long tenure and the beginning of the interim government’s rule.
Two visions, one date: Mourning vs celebration
As Dhaka and other cities lit up with music, dance, and parades commemorating what many call a “second liberation,” the Awami League chose solemnity. The party is observing August 5 as ‘Democracy and Student-Public-Police Killing Day’, remembering those killed during the turmoil that led to the regime change.
In stark contrast, the interim government organised large-scale cultural programs across the country. At the center of it all was Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus’s public rally near the Parliament Building, where he read out the July Declaration — the document hailed as the ideological core of the 2024 uprising and set to be enshrined in the Constitution.
Hasina’s message also carried a sharp rebuke of the Yunus government’s decision to abandon August as the Month of Mourning — a tradition rooted in the assassination of her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, on August 15, 1975.
“The current government may have chosen to forget August, but we have not,” she said, reaffirming her stance that her removal was not constitutional but coerced, and emphasizing that her claim to legitimacy remains intact.
July declaration and charter: A constitutional gamble
Meanwhile, the Yunus government is moving ahead with plans to institutionalise the 2024 uprising through constitutional amendments. The July National Charter, prepared by the Bangladesh Consensus Commission, is being circulated to political parties for review. If adopted, this would mark the first time a political uprising — especially one leading to the fall of an elected government — is formally included in Bangladesh’s Constitution.
Analysts believe this move could legally marginalise the Awami League, potentially barring its path back to power in future elections. While the National Citizen Party and several anti-Awami factions back the proposal, resistance is building quietly. Sources confirm that senior leaders from the BNP and other key groups are uneasy about granting constitutional legitimacy to what they see as a populist revolt.
A Return to the national stage
“Hasina’s re-entry into the national conversation on this symbolic day signals her intent to stay politically relevant,” said a senior Awami League leader, adding, “Her message, laced with conviction and nostalgia, casts a long shadow over the festivities, reminding the nation that its political identity remains deeply contested.”
As the country stands at a constitutional crossroads, the clash between historical legitimacy and revolutionary momentum continues — and Sheikh Hasina shows no signs of exiting the arena quietly.
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