Telegram turned into 'extortion hub' by AL Leaders to reach Hasina: Indian media

Indian news outlet News18 has reported that certain leaders within the Awami League, have created an extortion ring around virtual meetings with Sheikh Hasina, exploiting the Telegram platform to demand money in exchange for the chance to speak in her presence.

According to the News18 report, since Hasina's exile to India nearly a year ago, Telegram has become the primary coordination hub for AL leaders and activists.

These Telegram groups — some hosting over 20,000 to 30,000 members — facilitate nightly virtual sessions with participation from central leaders, current and former MPs, and regional leaders.

However, sources within the party told News18 that speaking opportunities in the presence of Sheikh Hasina are being sold for money, turning the platform into a tool of economic exploitation.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior Awami League leader told News18, "Obaidul Quader is being rejected by the party cadres. He is keeping himself relevant by creating a host of Telegram groups, which are not for party welfare but to run an economic scam.

"The top leadership has received information that he has extorted money from party's senior leaders, MPs, and former ministers in lieu of arranging virtual meetings with Hasina through Telegram."

Obaidul Quader, the party's general secretary, has reportedly taken centre stage on Telegram, delivering speeches that include calls to "surround Dhaka," though sources criticise these addresses for lacking any clear strategy or timeline.

"Quader now personally schedules his daily speaking slots across various Telegram groups—a move seen by some as a sign of political desperation rather than strategy," said the report.

More troubling, according to News18, is the infiltration of these Telegram groups.

Sources told News18 that intelligence agents, loyal to Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, along with opposition party activists from BNP and Jamaat, have joined various Telegram groups.

These infiltrators record conversations and use the information to identify and arrest participants. Arrests based on group activity logs are already underway, insiders said.

"When did the suspicion arise for the first time?" News18 quotes a senior party functionary as saying, "Look, there have been uncharitable comments coming in occasionally. But even prominent groups like 'Dhanmondi 32', named after the iconic residence of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, have seen open dissatisfaction voiced against central leaders which we took note of. But when based on discussions and talks of putting up a 'resistance', our activists were picked up, we realised it was more than what meets the eye."

In response to the crisis, Sheikh Hasina has reportedly directed the party to either take to the streets or resign. She has called for fresh leadership and new ideas, emphasising ground-level mobilisation over digital activism.

To address security concerns, News18 reports that all AL Telegram users have now been instructed to use VPNs to prevent leaks, with fears that user data may be circulating on the dark web or black markets.

"It has been a year now. AL wants to fight for the people. Hence, resistance committees in every district and metropolitan area, led by joint teams comprising divisional organisers, joint general secretaries, and central committee members, will be set up soon," another senior party leader told News18.

With national elections expected next year and AL still banned from participating, the party appears to be gearing up for a more aggressive phase — street-level confrontation with what the report calls the "Yunus regime."