Bangladesh bans all activities of ousted PM Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League

Bangladesh on Saturday banned all activities of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League, including its online platforms, under the country’s anti-terrorism act, The Daily Star reported.

The government said the ban will remain effective until the trials of the party and its leaders, accused of being linked to the deaths of hundreds of protesters under the International Crimes Tribunals Act, are concluded.

Hasina was ousted from power and fled to India on August 5 amid widespread student-led protests against her Awami League government. She had been the prime minister of Bangladesh for 16 years.

Nobel laureate economist Muhammad Yunus took over as the head of Bangladesh’s interim government on August 8.

The interim government has said it will investigate Hasina in connection with allegations that she ordered the killings and enforced disappearances of dissidents during the public uprising against her regime in July and August. A total of 51 cases have been filed against her, including 42 for murder. Two warrants for her arrest have also been issued.

The decision to ban the Awami League was taken at a meeting of the council of advisers, chaired by Yunus, following three days of protests outside the chief advisor’s calling for a ban on the party and its prosecution for atrocities committed to suppress the 2024 uprising, The Daily Star reported.

The ban aims to “ensure national security, protect leaders and activists of the uprising, and safeguard plaintiffs and witnesses involved in the tribunal proceedings”, Law Adviser Asif Nazrul said.

“The fascist murderers across the country must be identified and swiftly brought to justice,” he added.

In October, the Awami League’s student wing, Bangladesh Chhatra League, was banned after being designated a “terrorist organisation” due to its involvement in violent attacks on protesters during the student demonstrations, Al Jazeera reported.

Reacting to Saturday’s ban, the Awami league said that the ban on it was illegal and unconstitutional.

“We strongly reject this decision by the fascist dictator Yunus regime with utter contempt, and we vehemently protest against it,” the party said in a statement on X. “At the same time, we firmly declare that the Bangladesh Awami League will continue to conduct its activities in due course, disregarding this authoritarian decision.”

Under Bangladeshi law, if the Awami League’s registration with the Election Commission is revoked, the party will be barred from participating in the general election, expected to take place between December 2025 and June 2026, PTI reported.

Hasina has denied the allegations against her and claimed that she is being politically persecuted.

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