Sheikh Hasina’s December return announcement heats up politics, Govt. cautious about law and order

POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Nov 15, 2026 : Former Prime Minister and Awami League President Sheikh Hasina’s announcement to return to Bangladesh in December has created new tension and uncertainty in the political arena of Bangladesh. After the announcement of her return, new discussions have started on the political situation as well as the administrative and law and order situation. In the meantime, the government made a major reshuffle in the posts of Deputy Commissioners (DCs) in Gopalganj, Chuadanga and Habiganj on Sunday. Changes have also been made in the police administration of Gopalganj.
Gopalganj, known as the political influence area of ​​the Awami League, is under the most surveillance. On Sunday afternoon, tension spread around the public procession and rehearsal of the leaders and activists of the banned party and its associate organizations on various roads in the district town. Many of the participants in the procession were seen carrying indigenous weapons such as logis, batis, ramdas, Chinese axes, tentas and spears. At one stage, the marchers broke through the police barricades and moved forward. Vandalism and arson also occurred at some places. In this situation, six platoons of BGB have been deployed in the district.
Amidst political tension, the government on Sunday appointed new deputy commissioners in three districts. According to a notification from the Ministry of Public Administration, Habiganj Deputy Commissioner GM Sarfaraz has been made the new DC of Gopalganj. Deputy Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration Md. Alamgir Kabir has been appointed as Chuadanga and Deputy Secretary of the Cabinet Division Zakir Hossain has been appointed as Habiganj Deputy Commissioner.
On the other hand, outgoing DC of Gopalganj Md. Arif-uz-Zaman and DC of Chuadanga Lutfun Nahar have been attached to the Ministry of Public Administration.
Changes have been made not only in the district administration, but also in the police administration of Gopalganj. The district’s Superintendent of Police Md. Habibullah has been transferred to Feni. Feni SP Pratyush Kumar Majumdar has been given the responsibility of the new police superintendent of Gopalganj. On the same day, several other important police posts were reshuffled.
Meanwhile, political calculations are progressing very vigorously around Sheikh Hasina’s December announcement. Last week, reports by news agencies Reuters and Associated Press revealed Sheikh Hasina’s desire to return to Bangladesh in December. Sheikh Hasina herself has also announced her plan to return to Bangladesh. The issue of applying for a new passport and national identity card at the Bangladesh Embassy in Delhi through her lawyers has also come under discussion. However, the Bangladesh government has rejected her passport application, Reuters reported.
After Sheikh Hasina’s announcement, discussions are increasing among Awami League leaders and activists about new activities, political statements and various programs. The public presence of leaders and activists in Gopalganj is gaining special importance in view of the lockdown program announced by the party on November 19.
According to political analysts, Sheikh Hasina’s return announcement, the Awami League’s program and the government’s administrative activities have all created a new atmosphere of uncertainty in the country’s politics. The recent events in Gopalganj in particular have made the situation more sensitive.
However, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has claimed that the law and order situation across the country is under control. At the sixth meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Home Affairs held at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Sunday, he said that the law and order situation across the country is under control. The law and order forces are determined to prevent any kind of sabotage and terrorism.
These details of the meeting were given in a press release from the Parliament Secretariat. The meeting, chaired by the committee’s president, Zainul Abedin, discussed the law and order situation as well as drug smuggling and border security.
The biggest topic of discussion in the political arena now is Sheikh Hasina’s December return announcement. Will she really return to the country or not? How the ongoing legal process against him will progress if he returns and in which direction the political activities of the Awami League leaders and activists will turn have come to the fore.
On the other hand, the government is also keeping an eye on the administrative and law and order situation in important districts including Gopalganj. The deployment of BGB in Gopalganj, the change of DC-SP and the public procession incidents highlight the seriousness of the situation.
Overall, the political situation in the country has reached a new juncture centered on the announcement of Sheikh Hasina’s return. Although the government has said that law and order will be under control, there is a kind of caution and suspense in the political arena across the country due to political programs, administrative reshuffles and the events in Gopalganj. The concerned quarters are now keeping an eye on the direction the political situation will take in the next few weeks.