Bangladesh’s Awami League has condemned what it describes as a systematic campaign of custodial killings and state-backed repression under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim regime.
The party (in a statement issued today, September 23, 2025) accuses the unelected administration, installed after the August 5, 2024 ouster of Sheikh Hasina, of orchestrating the murder of political opponents and silencing voices of dissent across the country.
The most recent flashpoint is the death of Abu Bakkar Siddique Munna, widely known as “Munna Chairman,” a grassroots Awami League leader in Gaibandha district and former chairman of Kanchipara Union Parishad.
According to party sources, Munna was subjected to torture in custody before his death—a tragedy they say epitomizes the fate of hundreds of activists under the Yunus regime.
“The people of Bangladesh are witnessing how the illegal usurper, killer, fascist Yunus and his cohorts are murdering Awami League leaders and activists through various means,” said a statement from the Awami League.
“We strongly condemn and protest this planned killing. In the Bangladesh of tomorrow, justice will be served for all such murders.”
A Nation in Shock: Custodial Deaths and Widening Violence
While Munna’s death has sparked outrage, it is not an isolated case. Human rights monitors and political activists warn that custodial killings have become alarmingly frequent, spreading across districts such as Sylhet, Moulvibazar, and Gaibandha.
Figures compiled by the rights group Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) paint a chilling picture. Between August 5–8, 2024 alone—the first days of the Yunus-led administration—at least 318 people, including children, were killed during crackdowns and mob violence.
The Bangladesh Hindu, Buddhist, Christian Unity Council reported 2,010 incidents of murder, rape, looting, arson, and communal violence against minorities between August 4–20. Many of these incidents occurred in the presence of security forces, raising questions about state complicity.
Awami League leaders say that prisons, once meant to protect detainees from public unrest, have instead become “hellish chambers” under the interim authorities. Reports of brutal physical torture, psychological abuse, and denial of medical treatment are mounting, contributing to a rising death toll behind bars.
“Even now, Awami League leaders and activists are being killed through various forms of torture,” the party stated. “False and harassing cases are filed against everyone.
When bail is granted in one case, ‘shown arrest’ is used in another case to unjustly keep them detained. In this way, alongside physical torture, psychological torture is also being carried out to kill Awami League leaders and activists.”
The Machinery of Repression
Observers describe a pattern of repression designed not only to punish Awami League supporters but also to dismantle the party’s organizational strength.
The Yunus regime has reshuffled police, civil servants, and local administrators to align institutions with its agenda.
Reports from Dhaka suggest that mobs aligned with the interim authorities have raided the homes of Awami League supporters, often in full view of security forces.
Journalists, teachers, and academics who criticize the regime have been silenced through politically motivated charges, cancellation of accreditation, forced resignations, and dismissals. Access to the Bangladesh Secretariat is now restricted to government-approved reporters, further narrowing the space for independent journalism.
This crackdown has bred fear at every level of society. Families of detainees describe waiting outside prisons for news, only to be informed that their loved ones had died under “mysterious circumstances.” Public concern and the cries of bereaved families, the Awami League alleges, are met with silence from the interim rulers.
Targeting Bangladesh’s Democratic Core
The killing of Abu Bakkar Siddique Munna underscores what Awami League leaders describe as a strategy to eliminate the party’s grassroots base. Local union and district-level leaders are often the backbone of political mobilization in Bangladesh, serving as the bridge between citizens and national leadership.
By targeting such figures, the interim regime is attempting to paralyze the Awami League’s organizational machinery. “This is not random violence,” said a senior Awami League official.
“It is a deliberate plan to decapitate the party at every level—from local chairmen like Munna to national leaders—so that no effective opposition remains.”
Human Rights Crisis and International Concern
International monitors have echoed these warnings, describing an escalating breakdown of rule of law. Rights groups say that widespread political detentions, custodial killings, and communal attacks are fueling instability and deepening the country’s humanitarian crisis.
The Awami League argues that what is unfolding is not just a political conflict but an assault on the democratic soul of Bangladesh. “This is psychological warfare as much as it is physical,” the party said.
“The intent is to paralyze our organization and intimidate anyone who dares to resist. But history shows Bangladeshis cannot be ruled through fear forever.”
A Pledge for Justice
Despite the relentless repression, the Awami League has vowed solidarity with bereaved families and pledged that future democratic governments will hold perpetrators accountable.
“We stand shoulder to shoulder with those who have lost loved ones. Their sacrifices will not be forgotten, and in a free Bangladesh, justice will be served,” the party declared.
As custodial deaths mount and public concern grows, the Awami League’s message resonates with a larger truth: the struggle for democracy in Bangladesh has always been written in the blood and resilience of its people.
“Bangladesh has known dictatorships before,” the party concluded. “Every time, the people rose up and restored democracy. This time will be no different.”
