Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader has accused Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s government of carrying out mass arrests of opposition party leaders, activists and supporters across Bangladesh ahead of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s anticipated return from exile.
In a strongly worded statement issued Thursday, October 15, and published on his verified Facebook profile, Quader also alleged that imprisoned Awami League members were being subjected to severe torture.
Expressing deep concern and anger over what he described as a nationwide crackdown, the senior Awami League leader appealed to the international community to intervene against alleged state-sponsored repression and human rights violations.
“We are observing with deep concern and outrage that, ahead of Bangabandhu’s daughter Sheikh Hasina’s return to her homeland, the government of Tarique Zia, a collaborator of Pakistan, is conducting indiscriminate mass arrests of Awami League leaders, activists and supporters across the country in a barbaric manner,” Quader said.
“Our leaders and activists are being subjected to brutal torture inside prisons,” he added.
The allegations come amid heightened political tensions surrounding Hasina’s planned return to Bangladesh, where she faces a death sentence handed down in absentia over crimes against humanity connected to the deadly crackdown on the 2024 uprising that ended her government.
Awami League Appeals to International Community
Quader urged democratic governments, international human rights organizations and multilateral institutions to pay attention to what he described as systematic repression by the Bangladesh government.
“We draw the attention of all civilized and democratic countries, human rights organizations, international media, the United Nations, the Commonwealth, the OIC, the United States, the European Union, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, Human Rights Watch and the conscience of the world to the government-sponsored repressive and torturous activities in Bangladesh that violate democracy and humanity,” he said.
He also called for international assistance to end the alleged abuses and protect fundamental rights.
“At the same time, we respectfully appeal to the international community to take the necessary supportive measures to end these crimes and safeguard human rights,” the statement said.
Hasina’s Planned Return Heightens Political Tensions
Quader’s statement comes as the Awami League prepares for the possible return of its president, Sheikh Hasina, who has remained in India since the political changeover through a army-backed violent movement on August 5, 2024.
Hasina has repeatedly declared her intention to return to Bangladesh despite the legal consequences she could face.
In an interview published by Reuters in July, she said she and senior Awami League colleagues planned to return in December 2026.
She subsequently reiterated her determination during an August address to journalists, saying she was prepared to face imprisonment or even execution rather than remain outside Bangladesh indefinitely.
Her proposed return has become a major political issue because the Awami League’s activities remain banned and the government has maintained that the former prime minister must face the consequences of the court verdict against her.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said in July that Hasina would be arrested immediately if she returned to Bangladesh .
On September 26, Ahmed reiterated that the Awami League would not be allowed to resume political activities.
Quader’s latest statement places the party’s allegations of mass arrests and custodial abuse directly before international governments and human rights institutions as the confrontation over Hasina’s anticipated return continues.
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