In one of the largest clampdowns before a scheduled protest in Dhaka, the Bangladesh Army has arrested hundreds of workers and supporters of the Awami League party, led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The protest is against the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus.
Dhaka has been fortified, with 191 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh scattered all over the city. The demonstration is scheduled to take place at 3 PM on Sunday. Authorities denied the Awami League permission to hold the protest, raising tension in the capital.
The Awami League supporters and underground leaders will mass at important places like Gulisthan, Zero Point, and Nur Hossain Square, protesting the alleged false framing of their leaders, banning of the student wing Chatra League, and persecution faced by the party members.
Crackdowns on the cadres of Awami League had increased manifold after Sheikh Hasina was compelled to resign and leave the country on August 5, following violent protests backed by BNP and its allies, Jamaat-e-Islami, among other factions.
BNP and the Jamaat assured that the Awami League rallies or demonstrations would be stopped. The BNP-Jamaat laid siege to key areas in the capital, including the Awami League headquarters and places near it where Awami League members are likely to gather.
Anticipating the protests, the Yunus administration had already termed Awami League as a “fascist party” and expressed resolve that they would take all possible measures to restrict the party’s activities aimed at violence. “The Awami League, in its present form, is a fascist party.
This party will not be allowed to hold protests in Bangladesh. The interim government will not tolerate any attempts to disrupt law and order,” said Shafiqul Alam, Yunus’s press secretary. Alam warned that anyone attempting to hold rallies or demonstrations would face the “full force of law enforcement.”
For its part, the Awami League repeated that its protest was to save the rights of the people of Bangladesh and against fundamentalist forces. “Our movement is against the killing of citizens’ rights, rise of extremism, and conspiracy to disrupt the lives of ordinary people. We call upon everybody to join the Awami League leaders and supporters in protesting against the misrule of this regime,” the party said.
Some political factions have called for a ban on the Awami League, although Prime Minister Yunus said such decisions must be left to the political parties. A couple of ministers in the interim government have resented such a ban, citing the necessity for political inclusivity. At the same time, the BNP also strongly opposed any prohibition of any political party.
