In the quiet corridors of a Delhi safe house, far from the political tumult of Dhaka, an extraordinary succession plan may be unfolding. Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh and long-time leader of the Awami League, has been in exile in India since her dramatic ouster during the July 2024 Uprising.
Now, according to a BBC Bangla report, she is reportedly reshaping the future of her party — not through internal elections or consultations with senior leaders, but by positioning her children, Sajeeb Wazed Joy and Saima Wazed Putul, at the heart of the Awami League’s leadership structure.
The model? The Indian National Congress — a party that has long been guided by the Gandhi-Nehru dynasty. As Sonia Gandhi steps back, her children Rahul and Priyanka have taken on increasingly prominent roles. Now, Hasina, after four decades at the helm of the Awami League, appears to be following a similar path — one that underscores the deeply familial nature of one of South Asia’s most enduring political dynasties.
A dynasty in exile
Since fleeing Bangladesh in July 2024, Hasina has lived under tight Indian government security in Delhi. Her movements are restricted, and direct contact with party leaders has been limited. Yet, despite being stripped of power, banned from political activity, and facing trial at the International Crimes Tribunal for alleged crimes against humanity during the uprising, she remains the symbolic and strategic center of the Awami League.
With the party’s registration frozen by the Election Commission and all formal activities suspended, the Awami League’s operations have gone underground — managed not from Dhaka, but from exile. A new, informal leadership triangle has emerged: Hasina, her daughter Putul in Delhi, and her son Joy in Virginia, USA. Trusted lieutenants in Kolkata — including former ministers Asaduzzaman Khan, AFM Bahauddin Nasim, and Jahangir Kabir Nanak — serve as the operational bridge.
This shift marks a quiet but significant transformation. While Obaidul Quader remains the party’s official General Secretary, he has not met Hasina in over ten months. Instead, it is Putul who now drafts speeches, coordinates messaging, and meets envoys on her mother’s behalf. Meanwhile, Joy leads a digital campaign from the US, using his massive social media following — over two million on Facebook — to shape the narrative abroad, defend the family’s legacy, and attack the interim government.
The Putul factor
Putul, once best known for her work in autism advocacy and her role as WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, has undergone a dramatic transformation. Appointed in 2023, she formally took office in February 2024 — but by July, the Anti-Corruption Commission filed two cases against her, prompting the WHO to place her on indefinite leave. With her international career on hold, Putul has turned fully to politics.
Based in Delhi, she is now Hasina’s closest political aide — attending meetings, strategizing with party figures, and emerging as a visible face of the exiled leadership. Her recent social media activity, once focused on public health, now includes sharp political commentary, signaling her embrace of a new role.
Analysts see this as a deliberate grooming process. “She’s being positioned as the emotional and intellectual heir — someone who can connect with both the party base and the international community,” said a senior Awami League figure, speaking on condition of anonymity. “She’s diplomatic, articulate, and less controversial than Joy.”
Joy: The aggressive voice
Joy, Hasina’s only son and former ICT adviser, was once considered the natural successor. A US-based tech entrepreneur with strong opinions and a combative online presence, he has long acted as an informal spokesperson for his mother. However, his relationship with the broader party leadership has been strained. Many within the Awami League view him as aloof, confrontational, and overly reliant on a small circle of loyalists — including former ICT Minister Zunaid Ahmed Palak and BTRC Chairman Shahjahan Mahmood.
Moreover, Joy’s physical absence from the region — especially during crises — has raised questions about his commitment. When the pandemic hit, he left Bangladesh for the US. After the 2024 uprising, he remained abroad. Some speculate that his American wife prefers to stay away from Bangladesh’s turbulent politics. Whatever the reason, Joy’s distance has weakened his claim to the leadership mantle.
A Congress-style succession?
The parallels with India’s Congress Party are striking. Just as Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi have stepped into leadership roles as Sonia Gandhi recedes, Hasina appears to be preparing her children for a similar transition. The model is familiar: a family-centered party, where loyalty is inherited, and legitimacy flows from bloodline.
Political analyst Vinod Sharma notes that while the Awami League developed close ties with India’s BJP in recent years, its ideological and structural roots lie with the Congress. “The Awami League is a dynastic party at its core,” Sharma said. “It’s natural that Hasina would look to the Congress model for succession — not the BJP’s more institutional, cadre-based system.”
Other contenders in the wings
Despite the focus on Joy and Putul, other names linger in the background.
Sheikh Rehana, Hasina’s younger sister, once played a key advisory role and was seen as a potential regent. But reports of a rift — possibly over Putul’s rising profile — have sidelined her. Still, her son Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby remains influential. As editor of the Awami League’s new CRI magazine Whiteboard, he controls the party’s narrative machinery. Yet, his relocation to Thailand raises doubts about his long-term political ambitions.
Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh, Mayor of Dhaka South and grandson of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s brother-in-law, is another possibility. Though not part of Hasina’s immediate family, his tragic lineage (his parents were killed in the 1975 massacre) gives him moral legitimacy. If no consensus emerges among the direct descendants, Taposh could emerge as a unifying compromise candidate.
The elephant in the room: No official succession plan
Despite the speculation, there has been no formal discussion within the party about succession. “This isn’t the time to talk about who gets what post,” said Mohammad A Arafat, a central committee member and former state minister. “Our focus is on restoring democracy, not internal promotions.”
And yet, actions speak louder than words. The fact that Putul is now conducting meetings in her mother’s name, that Joy is leading overseas outreach, and that Bobby controls the party’s messaging — all while the official leadership remains sidelined — suggests a de facto transfer of power is already underway.
The silence of the media
In Bangladesh, the topic of Awami League succession is treated like a state secret. The media avoids it, senior leaders evade it, and public discussion is muted. Why? Because the answer is obvious: only a member of the Sheikh-Wazed family will lead the party. To question that is to question the very foundation of the Awami League’s modern identity.
But that silence breeds uncertainty. Without a transparent process, the party risks fragmentation when Hasina eventually steps down — or is unable to continue. The July 2024 collapse, where the party disintegrated almost overnight after Hasina’s removal, exposed its over-reliance on a single figure.
Dynasty vs democracy
At 73, Hasina may still have years of political life ahead. But the question of succession is no longer hypothetical — it is urgent. By quietly elevating Joy and Putul, she may be trying to ensure stability. But dynastic succession, while emotionally resonant, does not guarantee strong leadership or institutional resilience.
The Awami League stands at a crossroads. Will it evolve into a modern, institutionalized party — or remain a family enterprise, vulnerable to the whims of bloodline politics? The answer may already be taking shape, not in Dhaka, but in a Delhi safe house, where a mother is quietly anointing her children to carry on her legacy.