'Sheikh Hasina plans Rahul-Priyanka leadership model for Joy-Putul'

Awami League President Sheikh Hasina is reportedly preparing to introduce a family-centric leadership model for the party, with her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy and daughter Saima Wazed Putul at the forefront.

Citing political sources close to Sheikh Hasina, BBC Bangla published a special report on the issue on Monday.

Hasina, who has led the Awami League since 1981, has been residing in Delhi as a guest of the Indian government since losing power in August 2024. Her political activities have become restricted, and party operations were severely disrupted following a ban imposed by the interim government. The organizational vacuum, coupled with Hasina’s advancing age, has reportedly prompted her to finalise a succession plan.

The report notes that Joy, currently in the United States, has emerged as the party’s de facto spokesperson, regularly presenting its position in international media. Meanwhile, Putul—formerly Regional Director of the World Health Organization’s South-East Asia office—is on indefinite leave from her post and now works closely with her mother in India. She is said to be handling key internal responsibilities, drafting speeches, planning programmes, and even representing Hasina in diplomatic meetings.

Additionally, Hasina’s nephew Radwan Mujib Siddiq Bobby is expected to play a supporting role.

Analysts suggest this arrangement mirrors the Indian Congress model, where Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi jointly carry forward the family’s political legacy.

BBC Bangla further reports that significant shifts are taking place in the party’s central leadership. Although Obaidul Quader remains the general secretary on paper, he has reportedly not met Hasina in nearly 10 months despite being in India. Instead, greater reliance is being placed on three Kolkata-based leaders—former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, Bahauddin Nasim, and Jahangir Kabir Nanak—who are in regular contact with Hasina and Putul. A temporary coordination center has reportedly been formed in Kolkata to run party activities, linked with Hasina in Delhi and Joy in Virginia.

Hasina’s longstanding ties with India’s Gandhi family are also seen as an influence on this leadership strategy. She has maintained personal relations with Sonia, Rahul, and Priyanka Gandhi for years and reportedly expressed admiration for Rahul Gandhi’s “Bharat Joro Jatra” during a meeting in 2023.

Commenting on the development, senior Indian political analyst Vinod Sharma said the Awami League is inherently family-centric and its leadership is likely to remain within the “First Family.” According to him, a Congress-style structure is more suitable for the party than the BJP’s organizational model.