Dhaka, Dec 09 (V7N) – Several former ministers, state ministers, and members of parliament (MPs) from the ousted Awami League (AL) government participated in a London meeting yesterday (December 8), virtually addressed by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Attendees included former Fisheries and Livestock Minister Abdur Rahman, ex-State Minister for Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Shafiqul Rahman Chowdhury, former MP Habibur Rahman Habib, and retired Cabinet Secretary Kabir Bin Anwar, according to Prothom Alo.

The event was organized by the UK Awami League at the Impression Venue Hall in East London, marking the first public appearance of these leaders following the fall of the AL government.

Profiles of Key Attendees

  • Abdur Rahman: A praesidium member of AL and former MP for Faridpur-1.
  • Shafiqul Rahman Chowdhury: Former MP from Sylhet-2.
  • Habibur Rahman Habib: Ex-MP representing Sylhet-3.
  • Kabir Bin Anwar: Retired as cabinet secretary in January last year and officially joined AL this January.

Multiple cases have been filed against these individuals in Bangladesh.

Travel Bans Ignored
Despite court-imposed travel bans, many former AL leaders have fled the country since the government’s fall on August 5. Sheikh Hasina herself reportedly fled to India, while other ministers, MPs, and activists went into hiding.

Kabir Bin Anwar and his wife, Toufika Ahmed, faced a court-imposed travel ban on October 1, requested by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). Nevertheless, Anwar attended the London rally yesterday.

In a related incident, former Land Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, also under a travel ban, was previously spotted outside a $14 million home in London by Al Jazeera.

The meeting underscores the resilience of AL leaders abroad while raising questions about the enforcement of travel restrictions.

END/MSS/AJ