The Awami League, a name deeply engraved in every chapter of Bangladesh’s political history, now faces one of its darkest moments. The state has officially banned all activities of the party—a move that effectively amounts to outlawing it altogether.
This decision is not the outcome of any democratic or constitutional process. Rather, it is the product of a vindictive maneuver orchestrated by an illegitimate government. In 1971, the Pakistani occupation forces banned the Awami League. Today, that history seems to be repeating itself—only this time, on the soil of independent Bangladesh.
What makes the move even more symbolic and sinister is the choice of date. On May 10, 2013, the execution of Jamaat-e-Islami leader and convicted war criminal Motiur Rahman Nizami was carried out. Now, on that same date in 2025, the Awami League’s political activities have been outlawed. This is not a coincidence. It is a calculated act of revenge—a historical reversal meant to strike at the heart of the very forces that led the nation’s liberation struggle.
There’s more beneath the surface. On August 5, 2025, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was forcefully removed from office through what has been described as a “meticulously designed plan.” Under duress, she was compelled to leave the country. In her absence, Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus seized control—an economist with global acclaim but no grassroots political mandate within the country.
Before leaving, Sheikh Hasina is reported to have said: “The country is now filled with collaborators. They want to establish U.S. military bases in Chittagong and Saint Martin. I could have stayed in power if I had agreed to their terms.” Her words echoed those of her father, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who similarly rejected foreign pressure in 1971. Like her father, she refused to compromise.
Crucially, Sheikh Hasina did not sign any formal resignation before leaving the country. According to the Constitution, this means she remains the legal Prime Minister of Bangladesh. Therefore, the banning of Awami League activities is also part of a broader scheme to delegitimize her authority and erase her presence from the political narrative.
The Awami League was born on June 23, 1949, at Dhaka’s historic Rose Garden with the aim of establishing the political, economic, and cultural rights of the people of East Bengal. Originally named the East Pakistan Awami Muslim League, it shed its religious identity in 1955 to become the secular Awami League.
The party led the historic Language Movement, the Six-Point Movement, the mass uprising of 1969, and ultimately the Liberation War of 1971. Under the leadership of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Awami League became the face of Bangladesh’s fight for independence. After liberation, it formed the country’s first government.
Despite military coups, assassinations, and years of suppression, the Awami League repeatedly returned to power through the people’s mandate. From 2009 to 2023, it governed for three consecutive terms and played a crucial role in holding war criminals accountable, bringing justice and moral clarity to the nation.
But today, the very party that brought freedom and justice has itself been shackled. This ban is not rooted in any legal rationale or democratic oversight—it is political retribution. An unelected regime, lacking public support, is now attempting to rewrite history and erase the contributions of those who shaped the nation.
This is not merely a ban on a political party. It is a direct assault on the spirit of 1971, on Bangladesh’s hard-earned independence, on democracy, and on national identity. It is a strategic and deliberate effort to erase Sheikh Hasina from the national consciousness—an effort hauntingly reminiscent of the tragic events of 1975.
In this context, the banning of Awami League activities must be seen for what it is: not a legal measure, but an existential attack on Bangladesh’s past, present, and future. When a state begins to destroy its ideological foundations, it does not only endanger its history—it undermines its own legitimacy.
Deepanwita Martin, Sub Editor The Voice.