Dozens of activists from Bangladesh’s former ruling Awami League were arrested across the country on Tuesday as they attempted to mark the party’s 77th founding anniversary despite a nationwide ban, authorities said. The developments come amid heightened political tensions following last year’s change in government and the continued prohibition on the party’s activities. Police said 26 Awami League activists were detained in Dhaka alone, while several others were arrested in different parts of the country for attempting to organise processions and gatherings.
Authorities deployed additional security personnel in key areas to prevent demonstrations as supporters tried to defy restrictions imposed on the party. Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed told reporters that law enforcement had so far managed to prevent large-scale gatherings. He added that police remained alert to stop any rallies or public processions linked to the banned organisation during the anniversary period.
The Awami League, founded on June 23, 1949 when present-day Bangladesh was still part of East Pakistan, is the country’s oldest political party and played a central role in the 1971 Liberation War. It was later disbanded by the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s administration on August 5, 2024, following a student-led protest movement known as the “July Uprising.”
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The decision was subsequently endorsed by the country’s parliament under the government of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. Despite restrictions, the party called on its supporters through social media to mark the anniversary by holding online discussions, displaying flags, organising processions and carrying out poster campaigns. Videos shared on party-linked platforms reportedly showed supporters attempting to march in some areas, chanting slogans and carrying banners, though authorities moved swiftly to disperse gatherings.
On the eve of the anniversary, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has been living in India since her removal from office, posted a message on social media asserting resilience. She was later sentenced to death in absentia by Bangladesh’s International Crimes Tribunal over allegations related to the suppression of the protest movement that led to her government’s fall. The Awami League also issued a statement on social media claiming it would return with greater strength, despite the ban and ongoing crackdown.
Meanwhile, restrictions on Bangladeshi media reportedly remain in place regarding coverage of Hasina’s statements and party-related activities, further tightening the information environment around the political crisis. The arrests underscore continuing instability in Bangladesh’s political landscape, where tensions between supporters of the former ruling party and the interim administration remain high nearly a year after the dramatic change in government.
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