Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s “wrong decisions, extreme arrogance and lust for power” for pushing the Awami League to the brink of collapse, ultimately forcing her to flee to India during the uprising.
Following the upheaval, many Awami League leaders and activists reportedly fled the country. Some were detained at border points, while others died attempting to cross borders illegally.
Former foreign minister and ex-MP for Sylhet-1, Dr AK Abdul Momen, has said he fled Bangladesh following the mass uprising of August 5, 2024, and claimed that government officials helped him escape the country.
In a recent interview with Bangla News Network, a YouTube-based virtual news platform, Dr Momen described months of living in hiding amid fear of arrest and mob violence. The interview was later published by Sylhet-based online news portal Sylhet News.
Dr Momen said he remained inside the country for around eight months, constantly changing locations to avoid detection. He changed his mobile SIM card six times, altered his appearance significantly and even grew a beard to avoid being recognised.
“I was living like a fugitive,” he said, adding that he avoided staying with relatives as they were publicly known. Instead, he stayed in rented houses owned by people he barely knew.
Describing his ordeal, Dr Momen said, “This could be made into a movie. I was the last man to leave the country. I did nothing wrong. I never sent anyone to jail, never stole anything. So I was confident—why would I run?”
However, he said the situation changed when a senior military official called him and warned him that his phone number had been traced and that he should leave immediately for his own safety.
Dr Momen revealed that his wife played a crucial role in arranging his escape, as he was unable to communicate freely due to security concerns. He dismissed illegal migration brokers as exploitative, claiming he survived largely due to prayers and support from well-wishers, many of whom he does not even know.
Asked whether he left the country through Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dr Momen replied bluntly: “No, you can’t even go near the airport. I fled in different ways. I will talk about it someday. Not now.”
He added, “Government officials helped me. That’s why I’m still not saying how I left.”
Now living in the United States, Dr Momen said he remained completely out of contact for more than a year. Concluding the interview, he urged people to act responsibly.
“We are simple people,” he said. “We must save the country. We don’t want Bangladesh to become an extremist state. Everyone has a responsibility.”