Sheikh Hasina | Photo credit: Reuters
The interim government of Bangladesh has banned all the activities of the Awami League, the political party of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, under the country’s anti -terrorism law, citing Conerns of National Security.
The decision, announced on Saturday night, follows Days of Street Protest led by the National Citizano Party promoted by the students, which arose from the uprising of last year that knocked Hasina.
Several Islamist and right-wing parties, including James-E-Islami and other opposition groups, joined the demonstrations, demanding that the Awami League was designated as a terrorist organization.
The prohibition would remain in place until the trial of the party and its leadership about the death of hundreds of protesters in the International Crime Court is completed, the government said in a statement.
The Government also announced an amendment to the ICT law, allowing the Court to process not only individuals but also to political parties and organizations. The change clarifies the way for the Awami League to be judged as a collective entity for alleged crimes committed during its time in power.
The Awami League, which was founded in 1949, dismissed the decision as illegitimate, publishing on its official Facebook page: “All illegal government decisions are illegal.”
The country has seen increasing tensions and protests in recent months, after mortal protests forced Hasina to flee to India in August and an interim government led by the Nobel Peace Prize Muhammad Yunus Tok.
Yunus promised reforms and said the survey could be delayed until 2026.
The riots were in July with students’ protests against public sector work quotas, but it quickly became one of the most mortal periods of political violence since the independence of Bangladesh in 1971.
In October, the Government prohibited the student wing of the Awami League, the Bangladesh Chhatra League, labeling it as a “terrorist organization” for its role in violent attacks against protesters.
Posted on May 11, 2025