In a notable development, the coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, Hasnat Abdullah, along with Sarjis Alam, has filed a petition with the High Court seeking a ban on Bangladesh’s Awami League as a political entity. The petition accuses the ruling party of orchestrating widespread violence and alleged killings of students and civilians during protests in July and August.
The High Court received the petition earlier today, with a hearing scheduled for tomorrow.
This follows an October 23 decree from the interim government, which banned the Awami League’s affiliate, Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), citing its alleged involvement in violent and criminal activities over the years. The decree outlined accusations of the BCL’s engagement in assaults, extortion, and harassment, particularly during the last 15 years under the Awami League-led administration. The document claims BCL members were involved in crimes like torture, forced evictions in student dormitories, sexual harassment, and disrupting public security, with media outlets reportedly showcasing evidence, some of which has been substantiated in court.
The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement has alleged that since July 15, BCL members launched armed attacks on protesting students and civilians, resulting in multiple deaths and severe injuries. Even after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, BCL allegedly continued activities deemed destructive, seditious, and conspiratorial against the state.
Citing these instances, the government used its powers under Section 18, Subsection 1 of the 2009 Anti-Terrorism Act to formally ban BCL, adding it to the list of proscribed organizations.
However, the ban process has faced intense criticism. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), one of the country’s major political parties, has also voiced strong opposition to the decision to ban the Awami League. The majority public opinion suggests that the government led by Muhammad Yunus is attempting to ban the Awami League, the party that led Bangladesh’s Liberation War, as part of a political vendetta. Many feel this move aligns with the longstanding ambitions of Pakistan-aligned Islamist extremist groups, who, since 1971, have sought to see the Awami League dissolved. Critics argue that the Yunus administration is working to fulfill this agenda.