The massive public outcry sparked by the anti-discrimination student movement placed intense pressure on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, leading her to resign from her position and seek refuge in India. After Sheikh Hasina left the country, the leaders and workers of the Awami League were left in disarray. With no directives from the party, many of them went into hiding across various parts of the country, and several even fled the country.

Immediately following the events of August 5, prominent figures including former Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud, former Local Government Minister Md. Tajul Islam, former Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel, former Information State Minister Mohammad Ali Arafat, former MP Alauddin Ahmed Nasim, and the widely discussed Awami League leader, Narayanganj MP Shamim Osman, were among those who left the country.

However, a significant question remained: Where was Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader? Speculation and rumors regarding his whereabouts spread throughout political circles.

According to media sources, Obaidul Quader stayed in the country for three months and five days following the mass uprising. During this time, he remained safe. He had attempted to seek refuge in India, similar to the party president, and tried to establish contact with Sheikh Hasina, but received no response.

Sources claim that Sheikh Hasina was particularly displeased with Obaidul Quader's statements regarding the anti-discrimination movement. His comment, “The student league is enough to suppress the student movement,” was believed to have further fueled the fire of the protests, a view held by many in the party.

On November 8, Obaidul Quader arrived in Kolkata via Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya. He spent time in a special location, planning how to leave the country.

Once he received the green light, he traveled by road to a special arrangement, eventually reaching Kolkata. Unlike others, he chose to remain in Kolkata rather than Delhi. Some individuals attempted to lobby the Indian government on his behalf, but Sheikh Hasina showed no interest in assisting him.

Earlier, on November 9, police conducted a raid at a house in the AR Tower on Agrabad Access Road in the Halishahar area of Chattogram, suspecting that Obaidul Quader, the Awami League General Secretary and former Road Transport Minister, was staying there. However, after failing to find him, the police interrogated his brother-in-law, Nurul Huda Babu (70), and later released him on the morning of November 10. This was confirmed by Fazlul Kader, the Officer-in-Charge of Kotwali Police Station.