Sheikh Hasina, who fled Bangladesh and traveled to India after facing massive protests, could soon see her party, the Awami League – founded by her father Mujibur Rahman – banned in her home country. If this happens, Bangladesh would lose its oldest political party in the country, a party that played an important role in achieving Bangladesh’s independence.

The move becomes even more likely after Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, banned the
Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of the Awami League.

How did we get here? What does this mean for the party? We answer your questions.

Bangladesh Chhatra League banned

On Wednesday (October 23), the caretaker government of Bangladesh announced the banning of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student organization of the Awami League.

In a notification from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the government said that over the past 15 years, under the Awami League rule, the Bangladesh Chhatra League had been involved in various activities that disrupted public security, including murders, rapes, torture, harassment in student residences and tender manipulation.

He said there was sufficient evidence that the group continued to engage in conspiratorial, destructive and provocative activities against the state. The regime declared its ban under Section 18(1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009, with immediate effect, the notification said.

Bangladesh Chhatra League president Saddam Hussain criticized the move. Printing“It’s a populist type government. We see no legality behind this ban. This ban is similar to the one imposed by Yahya Khan on the BCL during the Liberation War of 1971. We do not agree with this. The BCL has always participated in democratic processes and will continue to do so.

The Awami League also criticized the ban. In an article on to the very existence of the State of Bangladesh, by an unconstitutional and illegal caretaker government is a tragic and unfortunate event for the nation – a cruel irony. This is a brutal revenge of the defeated forces of 1971 against the liberation struggle and the war of independence.”

Protest and strong condemnation of the Bangladesh Awami League against the despicable and unjust banning of a historic organization linked to the independence of the nation
—
Thanks to a notification from the Ministry of Interior regarding the so-called caretaker government, unconstitutional and illegal, the… pic.twitter.com/ghwidSCsd6

– Awami League (@albd1971) October 24, 2024

Sign of things to come for the Awami League

Many believe the BCL ban is an indication of what the future of the sector could be.
Awami League. On October 20, the Star of the day reported that the caretaker government would ban the Awami League and like-minded parties from participating in political activities.

Mahfuj Alam, the special assistant to the chief advisor, was quoted as saying: “Those who participated in the last three elections and came to Parliament have illegally misled the people, and the caretaker government will of course put obstacles in the way of their political participation.

“You will see how these barriers come into effect. There is a legal aspect and an administrative aspect — you will see that soon. These things will become clearer when the electoral process begins.”

Earlier, on September 1, the Bangladesh High Court rejected a petition seeking a ban on the Awami League. The petition was filed by Arifur Rahman Murad Bhuiyan, executive director of the Sarda Society, on August 19. The plea before the court sought cancellation of Hasina’s party for her alleged involvement in the killing of students and people at large during the student-led mass wave.

The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, the student union responsible for
overthrow of Sheikh Hasina’s governmenthas been categorical in its demand to ban the Awami League. They hold Hasina and her party responsible for the deaths of more than 600 people, who died in violent incidents during the protest against the controversial government job quota system that began in mid-July.

End of Bangladesh’s oldest party

If the Muhammad Yunus-led government bans the Awami League from any future political activities, it would mean the end of the country’s oldest political party. Founded in 1949, it was at the forefront of almost all democratic movements before and after the birth of Bangladesh. This also led the nation to independence.

The last time the Awami League faced such an existential crisis – Hasina is not in the country and its other top leaders have also fled – was in August 1975, when
Mujibur Rahman and most of his family members were killed.

It was only in 1981 that Sheikh Hasina returned to Bangladesh and rebuilt the party. She has since led the organization and it was under her leadership that the party took power five times.

However, in recent times, allegations have been leveled against the Awami League and its leader, Sheikh Hasina, that it is authoritarian and dictatorial in nature. Hasina, many believe, dismantled the political infrastructure that allowed for democratic governance and more broadly respect for human rights. Many Awami League leaders have also been accused of corruption.
Sheikh Hasina was also accused of using the state apparatus against protesters.

It seems that the new generation of Bangladesh is done with the old ways. They want new ideas, new people and want to move away from the history that makes Bangladesh the country it is.

With the contribution of agencies