New Delhi: The pro-Pakistan Md Yunus regime in Bangladesh has banned the country's oldest political party Awami League, coinciding with the Indo-Pak tensions, with New Delhi remaining engaged on its western front.
Responding to the ban, former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina's party on Sunday posted on its official Facebook page, saying "all decisions of the illegal government are illegal." The interim government headed by Yunus on Saturday banned all activities of Awami League under the Anti-Terrorism Act. The ban will continue until the trial of Awami League and its leaders at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) is completed. People told ET that the timing of the ban is ominous and deliberate as India remained engaged in executing ' Operation Sindoor' against Pakistan. Islamabad is understood to have influenced the decision to ban, the people alleged.
In Saturday's meeting chaired by Yunus, the government also amended the ICT law in order to allow the tribunal to try political parties as a collective entity. This follows protests by the student-led National Citizen Party calling for a ban on the Awami League. Jamaat-Islamists have long demanded a ban on Awami League despite the Army chief calling for free and fair elections with participation of all parties. The interim regime feared that the Awami League would perform reasonably well in the polls.
The Bangladeshi election commission is set to decide on Awami League's registration following the ban. The country's chief election commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin said the panel will hold a meeting after receiving the government order.
Awami League's student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League was banned in October 2024.
Responding to the ban, former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina's party on Sunday posted on its official Facebook page, saying "all decisions of the illegal government are illegal." The interim government headed by Yunus on Saturday banned all activities of Awami League under the Anti-Terrorism Act. The ban will continue until the trial of Awami League and its leaders at the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) is completed. People told ET that the timing of the ban is ominous and deliberate as India remained engaged in executing ' Operation Sindoor' against Pakistan. Islamabad is understood to have influenced the decision to ban, the people alleged.
In Saturday's meeting chaired by Yunus, the government also amended the ICT law in order to allow the tribunal to try political parties as a collective entity. This follows protests by the student-led National Citizen Party calling for a ban on the Awami League. Jamaat-Islamists have long demanded a ban on Awami League despite the Army chief calling for free and fair elections with participation of all parties. The interim regime feared that the Awami League would perform reasonably well in the polls.
The Bangladeshi election commission is set to decide on Awami League's registration following the ban. The country's chief election commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin said the panel will hold a meeting after receiving the government order.
Awami League's student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League was banned in October 2024.
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