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Bangladesh’s interim government, headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has banned the Awami League, the party of ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The ban, enacted under the country’s anti-terrorism law, was announced on Saturday, with the government citing concerns over national security and an ongoing war crimes trial against the party’s leadership.
According to reports, the interim administration stated that an official gazette notification regarding the ban will be issued on the next working day. Yunus’s office described the ban as a “statement of the Council of Advisers,” the interim cabinet, and emphasized that it would remain in effect until the trial concludes in Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal (ICT).
Legal Amendment Empowers Tribunal to Try Political Parties
The move comes after the interim cabinet amended the ICT law, enabling the tribunal to prosecute not only individuals but also political parties and affiliated organisations. The government said the decision was made to ensure the safety of complainants and witnesses involved in the tribunal proceedings, as well as to protect the supporters of the July 2024 uprising that led to the ousting of Hasina.
Sheikh Hasina, 77, fled to India on August 5 last year following mass unrest. Muhammad Yunus assumed office as chief adviser of the caretaker administration three days later.
Awami League Leadership Faces Prosecution
Since the power shift, Hasina and several senior Awami League leaders have been charged in hundreds of cases involving mass murder, corruption, and abuse of power. Many party members are currently imprisoned or living in exile.
Founded in 1949, the Awami League played a pivotal role in Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War and has been a dominant force in national politics ever since. Its sudden and sweeping ban marks an unprecedented chapter in the country’s democratic history.
Banning Awami League and Rise of NCP
The decision to outlaw the Awami League follows days of intense protests and blockades in Dhaka by activists of the newly-formed National Citizen Party (NCP). The student-led political outfit emerged from the popular uprising that ended Hasina’s 16-year rule. The NCP was established earlier this year by former members of Students Against Discrimination (SAD) and has maintained a hardline position against the Awami League.
Tensions peaked on Saturday when NCP supporters, backed by several Islamist and right-wing groups, marched toward Yunus’s official residence, demanding the party’s ban. Simultaneously, a sit-in was staged in Dhaka’s Shahbagh area, a symbolic center of past political activism.
BNP Voices Dissent
Despite increasing calls for the ban, the main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has distanced itself from the move. A BNP spokesperson, quoted by PTI, said, “We do not support the banning of any political party,” signaling concern over the broader implications of such action for political freedoms in the country.
With inputs from agencies.
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