Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, leading Bangladesh’s interim government, has banned the country’s oldest political party, the Awami League, under the Anti-Terrorism Act. This move has sparked widespread outrage among Bangladeshi expatriates, particularly in the United States and across the globe.
Critics view the ban as an attack on democratic values, alleging that it paves the way for fundamentalist Islamic groups and the newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP) to push for a caliphate-based system.
In Melbourne, Australia, members of the expatriate organization “Hridoy 71” organized an immediate protest in front of the Julia Gillard Library at the local Shaheed Minar, denouncing the ban. Protesters described the move as a betrayal of Bangladesh’s democratic heritage.
Similar demonstrations were held in New York and California, where Bangladeshi-American communities accused the interim government of conspiring to dismantle the country’s democratic framework.
In London, UK-based Awami League supporters gathered at Hyde Park, calling the decision “undemocratic and dangerous.” Over a hundred expatriates in Toronto, Canada, held a peaceful rally in front of the Bangladesh Community Centre, urging international intervention.
In the Middle East, especially in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, Bangladeshis voiced their dissent through social media and small-scale gatherings.
Protesters globally demanded the lifting of the ban on Awami League and the restoration of democratic processes in Bangladesh. Many accused the Yunus-led government of empowering fundamentalist forces, threatening the country’s secular identity.
The hashtags #SaveAwamiLeague and #StopYunusDictatorship trended across social platforms, with many labeling the ban as a “dark chapter” in Bangladesh’s political history.
This controversial move by the interim government has sparked serious concerns about the future of democracy and secularism in Bangladesh.