Dhaka, Nov. 11 -- What the month of December holds has been a major topic of discussion in the country's politics over the past several months, ever since ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, who has now spent over two years in India, announced her intention to return to Bangladesh that month.

Leaders and activists of the Awami League, which remains under a ban on its activities, have been energised by Hasina's announcement, and they have been campaigning on social media, as well as through their foreign networks, to prepare the grounds for her return, which remains uncertain.

The ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) believes the Awami League's underground network is trying to stoke unrest across the country in anticipation ...