In a development that has triggered significant discourse across digital platforms, a cohort of over one hundred activists from the Bangladesh Awami League and its youth wing, the Jubo League, convened in the Kamalnagar Upazila of Lakshmipur to participate in a formal oath-taking ceremony. The participants explicitly pledged to launch a movement aimed at facilitating the repatriation of the former Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, who was removed from office during the July 2024 mass uprising.
The event, conducted with a high degree of secrecy, achieved public notoriety after video footage of the proceedings surfaced on social media, prompting varied reactions and raising questions regarding local security and political mobilisation.
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Particulars of the Clandestine Gathering
Evidence from local sources indicates that the gathering occurred on Friday, 24 April 2026, at approximately 8:30 pm. To avoid detection, the organisers selected a remote and unpopulated site on the banks of the Meghna River, specifically near the Motirhat area within the Charkalkini Union of Kamalnagar.
The proceedings were reportedly led by Zahirul Islam Riyad Bhandari, a local Jubo League leader. The strategic selection of a riverside location under the cover of darkness underscores the perceived risks and heightened scrutiny currently faced by members of the previous administration’s political apparatus.
Analysis of the Oath and Strategic Pledges
The video, which began circulating widely on Monday, 26 April, depicts a disciplined formation of men reciting a scripted pledge. The declaration reaffirmed their adherence to the core ideologies of the Awami League and Jubo League.
The primary commitments articulated in the oath were:
Ideological Continuity: A vow to continue serving the public through the established principles of the party.
Political Agitation: A specific pledge to organise and sustain a movement for the return of Sheikh Hasina to Bangladesh.
Symbolic Resistance: The recitation of traditional partisan slogans, including ‘Joy Bangla’ and ‘Joy Bangabandhu’, which served to conclude the formal session.
While the event took place on Friday, the footage remained dormant for three days before being uploaded to Facebook, where it rapidly achieved viral status, attracting the attention of both political observers and law enforcement agencies.
Response from the Opposition and Authorities
The public emergence of the footage has prompted a response from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the primary opposition force in the region. Nurul Huda Chowdhury, the President of the BNP’s Kamalnagar Upazila unit, confirmed he had reviewed the content of the video.
“I have observed the video on social media,” Chowdhury stated. “The matter now falls under the jurisdiction of the law enforcement agencies to investigate and determine the appropriate course of action.”
Official verification from the Kamalnagar Police Station proved difficult, as the Officer-in-Charge (OC), Md. Faridul Alam, was unavailable to provide a statement at the time of reporting. Consequently, it remains unclear whether any formal charges or investigations have been initiated following the event.
Socio-Political Implications
Kamalnagar, situated within the Lakshmipur district, has a history of robust political competition. Since the governmental collapse in July 2024, activities by Awami League affiliates have been largely suppressed or conducted in private. This secret ceremony marks a notable shift toward organised, albeit covert, collective action by the party’s rank and file.
The incident occurs amidst a volatile political landscape where the interim administration continues to monitor the activities of the former ruling party. The dissemination of this video has not only served as a morale-boosting measure for party loyalists but has also placed the local administration under pressure to address the potential for renewed political friction in the coastal belt of Lakshmipur. As of late April, the district authorities are expected to evaluate whether such clandestine gatherings constitute a breach of existing public order regulations.