Storm in Bangladesh as Former President Flies to Thailand in Lungi on 3 AM Flight

In a dramatic turn of events, Bangladesh’s former President Mohammad Abdul Hamid quietly slipped out of the country last week, boarding a 3 a.m. Thai Airways flight to Thailand while most of the nation was asleep. The 81-year-old’s unexpected departure has triggered outrage, controversy, and a high-level investigation from the interim government led by economist Muhammad Yunus.

According to reports in the Bangladeshi press, Hamid left the Dhaka airport wearing a lungi and was seen in a wheelchair, accompanied by his brother and brother-in-law. While his family has claimed the trip was for medical treatment, critics say he fled to avoid being prosecuted in connection with a murder case tied to last year’s anti-Sheikh Hasina protests.

Hamid, served as President from 2013 to 2023, is a co-accused in a murder case filed in January 2024 alongside ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her close aides, including her sister Sheikh Rehana, her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy, and her daughter Saima Wazed Putul. The case alleges that regime-backed security forces opened fire on demonstrators seeking Hasina’s removal, resulting in civilian deaths.

The abrupt departure has led the interim government to suspend and transfer several airport and security officials. A high-level committee, headed by Education Adviser CR Abrar, has been formed to probe how Hamid managed to leave the country despite facing serious legal charges. Media outlets such as Pratidin and Bartaman published CCTV images showing the former president moments before his flight.

The student group Students Against Discrimination (SAD), which spearheaded the anti-quota movement that evolved into mass anti-government protests, has demanded swift action against officials responsible for Hamid’s exit.

Meanwhile, political voices have raised questions about whether the escape was tacitly approved. Politician Hannan Masud alleged that current President Mohammed Shahabuddin Chuppu may have facilitated Hamid’s departure to help him evade justice.

Hamid’s departure comes just days after the interim government banned Hasina’s Awami League under a revised anti-terrorism law. The party, once central to Bangladesh’s independence struggle and dominant for decades, has also had its registration cancelled by the Election Commission, effectively barring it from contesting future elections.

Once a rising star of the Awami League, Hamid began his political career with the Chhatra League — the party’s student wing — which was itself banned in October 2024. His own home, like several properties associated with the Hasina regime, was reportedly demolished during February’s controversial “Bulldozer Programme,” which also saw the razing of the iconic Dhanmondi 32 residence of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, now a museum.

As Hasina and several key Awami League leaders remain in exile, Hamid’s overnight exit has only deepened the political divide in a country navigating a turbulent transition. Many Bangladeshis, especially protestors and victims of the crackdown, now feel robbed of the chance to see the former president stand trial — a fact that is stoking public anger and demands for accountability.