Dhaka:
Bangladesh officially officially removed the Awami League of Premier Sheikh Hasina under the anti -Terrorism Act, two days after Muhammad Yunus’s interim government banned its “activities” under the previous edition of the law under the previous edition of the law.
“A Gazette notification has been issued in this regard today,” Home Advisor Lieutenant General (Rtired) Jahngir Alam told a media briefing on Monday.
A Home Ministry official said that as per the notification, the Awami League and its affiliated organizations were banned under the Anti-Terrorism Act 2025 until the International Crime Tribunal (ICT-BD) of Bangladesh did not complete the test of its leaders and workers.
He said that Section 18 of the amended law empowered the government to declare any “unit” or organization with any person if they were found to be involved in terrorism on a proper basis.
There was no provision to ban the “unit” in the anti -terrorism Act of 2009.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission (EC) said it also abandoned the registration of Awami League, as well as disqualified the party from contesting elections.
A few hours after the government’s notification, EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said, “Today, the Ministry of Home Affairs banned the activities of Bangladesh Awami League and its affiliated organizations. In this release, the Election Commission decided to suspend the registration of Awami League.”
“We have to decide to go with the spirit of the current Bangladesh,” Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Amm Nasir Udin told reporters two days ago. The leaders of the Awami League were accused of committing crime against humanity on the death of hundreds of people during last year’s anti -government protests by a student forum. As a result of the protests, Hasina’s 16 -year -long rule was abolished on 5 August.
On Saturday, the council of advisors of the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus banned “all activities of Awami League”, including cyberspace under the anti -terrorism law.
It said that the ban would remain until the special tribunal completes the party and its leaders.
The next day, Awami League dismissed the interim government’s decision and vowed to take its activities properly.
Monday’s development occurred when Bangladesh banned the publication or spread of statements of accused or organizations under a revised terrorism law overnight.
On Sunday night, President Mohammad Shahabuddin amended an ordinance to the Anti -Terrorism Act, which banned any kind of publicity, which included public functions in support of press statement, social media content, or any person or institutions.
The President signed the draft hours after the council of advisors, effectively with the Chief Advisor Younus in the chair, the cabinet approved the ordinance to amend the Anti -Terrorism Act -2009 to ban all activities of a particular unit.
The interim administration slapped the ban on the Awami League late Saturday night, saying that it would remain until a special tribunal completes the party and its leaders.
The amended law prohibits any form of propagation, including press statement, social media content, or public function in support of such individuals or institutions.
This created the scope of restrictions by replying the previous context of “listed individuals or restricted institutions” with a more general phrase: “Any person or unit against which action against which action has been done under Section 18 of the Anti -Terrorism Act.
According to the United Nations Rights Office report, the Awami League government was topped on August 5, 2024 on August 15, 2024 as killed on 15 August and 15 August on 15 August – on 15 August – many of them were victims of retaliation on League supporters or policemen.
Hasina and most of her senior colleagues accused the party and the previous year of the previous year’s student -led agitation for the protesters of committing “crimes against humanity”, which through mass murder or disappearance of previous offenses.
Formed in 1949, Awami League led the movement for the autonomy of Bengalis in the then East Pakistan for decades and eventually led to the liberation war in 1971.
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