Bangladesh bans activities of ousted PM Hasina’s party following protests

Bangladesh’s interim administration has prohibited all operations of the Awami League, the political party of ousted ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, referencing national security issues under the country’s Anti-Terrorism Act.

The announcement made late Saturday comes after days of demonstrations led by the student-led National Citizen Party, which arose from the uprising last year that ousted Hasina.

Various Islamist and right-wing parties, such as Jamaat-e-Islami and additional opposition factions, participated in the protests, calling for the Awami League to be classified as a terrorist organization. The prohibition will stay enforced until the trial concerning the party and its leaders regarding the deaths of numerous protesters at the International Crimes Tribunal is concluded, the government stated in a release.

The government has revealed a modification to the ICT Act, enabling the tribunal to take legal action against both individuals and political parties or organizations. The alteration paves the path for the Awami League to be prosecuted as a unified body for purported offenses carried out during its tenure in leadership.

The Awami League, established in 1949, rejected the ruling as unlawful, stating on its official Facebook page: “Every decision of the illegal government is illegitimate.”

The nation has experienced escalating tensions and demonstrations lately, following fatal protests that compelled Hasina to escape to India in August, resulting in an interim government headed by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus.

Yunus committed to reforms and mentioned that the election might be postponed until 2026. The turmoil started in July with student demonstrations opposing public sector job quotas, but soon transformed into one of the most lethal phases of political violence since Bangladesh gained independence in 1971.

In October, the government designated the Awami League’s student branch, Bangladesh Chhatra League, as a “terrorist organization” due to its involvement in violent assaults against protesters.