Jumbangla Desk: The Awami League government collapsed on August 5 in the face of the student movement. Party president and head of government Sheikh Hasina left for India on the same day. After that, Trinamool leaders and activists from the Awami League center in the country and MP-ministers of the government who have been in charge for four terms quickly went into hiding.

However, since the interim government took over, many MPs-ministers of the former government as well as many influential leaders of the Awami League have already been arrested. But the members of the larger Sheikh family, who have been at the center of power for the past 15 and a half years, have so far been out of touch.

In the last 15 and a half years, Sheikh Hasina's relatives served as government ministers, MPs, mayors and other important positions in the Awami League's central committee and subsidiary organizations. At least eight of them were in the rank of minister-state minister. About 15 people became MPs.

Apart from this, three mayors of the city corporation, three chairmen and member-secretaries of the subsidiary organizations served. During the entire tenure of Awami League, they have become owners of abundant wealth with various facilities from the government. Although cases have been filed against many of them, they are still out of touch.

Sheikh Hasina's son Sajeeb Wazed Joy is in the United States. After August 5, he came live on Facebook several times and said various things. Sheikh Hasina's daughter Saima Wazed Putul is the Regional Director-General of the World Health Organization for Southeast Asia. He is staying in India.

Putul's father-in-law Khandkar Mosharraf Hossain was an influential minister in the Awami League government. He served as minister for two terms. In 2015, the local government minister and Awami League general secretary Syed Ashraful Islam was replaced by Khandkar Mosharraf Hossain as the local government minister. He was denied nomination in the last election. In the discussion, Khandaker Musharraf has been knocked out due to the deterioration of relations. He is said to be currently in Switzerland.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's younger daughter Sheikh Rehana left for India with her sister Sheikh Hasina on August 5. He is a British passport-holder. Awami League's research cell, Center for Research and Information (CRI), was headed by his son Radwan Mujib Siddique Bobby. Sheikh Rehana's daughter Tulip Siddique is a member of the British Parliament. Another daughter is Azmina Siddique Rupanti. All of them are said to be in Britain.

A leader of the editorial board of Awami League said on condition of anonymity that the power house was built around Sheikh Helal. They used to control the big contracting works of various ministries and departments of the government. Tariq Ahmed has been in hiding since August 5.

Five sons of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's younger brother Sheikh Abu Nasser. They were the undeclared guardians of Khulna division. They had complete control over all public and private businesses, starting from the selection of candidates for the elections. Two of them were MPs in the last parliament as well. They are Sheikh Helaluddin and Sheikh Salahuddin Jewel. Sheikh Helal's son Sheikh Tanmoy is also an MP in the last two parliaments. According to various sources, Helal and Tanmoy are in India. Jewell was in the country after August 5. No one knows where their other three brothers Sheikh Sohail, Sheikh Rubel and Sheikh Belal are.

Sheikh Hasina's cousin Sheikh Fazlul Karim Salim is a member of the presidium of Awami League. His two sons are Sheikh Fazle Fahim and Naeem. In family identity, Fahim was the president of FBCCI, the main organization of businessmen of Bangladesh. Sheikh Selim's family has been in hiding since August 5. According to a source, Sheikh Salim is still in the country.

Sheikh Salim's brother Sheikh Fazlul Haque Mani has two children, Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash and Sheikh Fazle Noor Tapas. Parash suddenly became the chairman of Jubo League in 2019 due to family identity. He has been missing since August 5. And Sheikh Tapas is former MP of Dhaka and former mayor of Dhaka South City Corporation. He went to Singapore two days before the fall of the government.

Sheikh Selim's younger brother Sheikh Fazlur Rahman Maruf came into the discussion during the casino controversy. He is currently claimed to be in Singapore. His brother-in-law former Jubo League chairman Omar Farooq Chowdhury is also in hiding.

Sheikh Hasina's cousin Abul Hasanat Abdullah was the MP of Barisal-1 Constituency. His son Sadiq Abdullah was the Mayor of Barisal City Corporation. During the rule of Awami League, this family was the ruler of Barisal region. Various sources claimed that Hasanat Abdullah and his younger son Sukant Abdullah left the country and went to India after August 5. But the whereabouts of Sadiq Abdullah could not be confirmed. His younger brother Abul Khair Abdullah is the former Mayor of Barisal City Corporation. It is not known where he is.

Another influential member of the Sheikh family, Bangabandhu's cousin Sheikh Kabir Hossain was the president of Bangladesh Private University Association and Bangladesh Insurance Association. His brother Sheikh Nadir Hossain was the chairman of Milk Vita. Another cousin Sheikh Hafizur Rahman is member secretary of Bangabandhu Memorial Trust. They were nowhere to be seen after August 5.

Awami League Advisory Council member Amir Hossain Amu is Bangabandhu's cousin Feroza Begum's husband. There are rumors that he went to India after August 5. However, the authenticity could not be confirmed. Source: Today's newspaper.