The Advisory Council of the interim government has decided that all activities of the Awami League—including in cyberspace—will be banned under the Anti-Terrorism Act until the trial of the ousted party and its leaders is completed at the International Crimes Tribunal.
The decision was announced in a statement after a meeting of the Advisory Council called by Chief Adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus on Saturday.
According to the statement, the decision to ban Awami League has been taken in order to protect the country’s security and sovereignty, ensure the safety of the July Movement’s leaders and activists, and safeguard plaintiffs and witnesses of the International Crimes Tribunal.
A necessary circular regarding this matter will be issued on the next working day, it added.
The statement further said that the Advisory Council has decided to finalize and publish the July Declaration within the next 30 working days.
Earlier, protesters demanding a ban on the Awami League warned they would launch a “March to Jamuna (the official residence of the chief adviser)” unless the interim government announces a clear roadmap for outlawing the party.
They blockaded the road between Banglamotor and Shahbagh, centering their blockade at Razoshiq Mor in front of the Hotel Intercontinental.
Hasnat Abdullah, chief organizer (south) of the National Citizen Party and one of the key leaders of the student-led uprising that toppled the AL regime, announced the plan from Shahbagh at around 7:30pm on Saturday.
“We will announce a ‘March to Jamuna’ if we do not receive a clear roadmap for banning the Awami League within the next hour,” he had said.
“For now, we will not proceed to Jamuna. We will move in that direction only if it becomes necessary,” Hasnat noted.
Saturday's mass gathering at Shahbagh in Dhaka focused on three demands: banning the Awami League, issuing the July Declaration, and enacting legal provisions for trying the party at the International Criminal Tribunal.
The rally, which began shortly after 3pm at the Shahbagh intersection, was joined by leaders
and activists from various parties.
Over recent months, two major blocs have led protests demanding the Awami League’s ban.
The first includes post-July uprising groups: the National Citizen Party, United Peoples’ Bangladesh (an emerging pressure group), the Bangladesh Democratic Student Council, and the “July Unity” coalition of more than 50 organizations, such as Inqilab Manch, the Anti-Fascist Coalition, and July Manch.
The second comprises Islamist organizations, including Jamaat-e-Islami, Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir, Islamic Movement Bangladesh, the Islamic Student Movement Bangladesh, and Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh.
At around 11 pm on Friday, Hasnat told journalists the blockade would continue until the three demands were met, vowing to maintain the sit-in until the Awami League is banned.
The blockade established on Friday persisted through the night and into Saturday morning.
At around 4am, he posted on his verified Facebook page, urging people not to block highways outside Shahbagh: “Do not block highways in Dhaka or elsewhere. Hold spontaneous gatherings in districts but refrain from blockades. Lift any existing blockades.”
The immediate catalyst for the protests was former President Abdul Hamid’s departure to Bangkok on Thursday morning, months after the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government during the student-led uprising of August 2023. Unlike many AL leaders who fled immediately after the uprising, Hamid had remained in the country until now; protesters accuse the interim government of facilitating his escape.
Earlier, at Hasnat Abdullah’s call, protesters held a sit-in outside the Chief Advisor’s residence in Jamuna from Thursday night until Friday afternoon. Leaders from various parties joined the action. Later on Friday, from 12 noon until 4:30 pm, they gathered at the Minto Road intersection. At 4:35 pm that day, Hasnat Abdullah announced the “Shahbagh Blockade” and led a procession to seal off the area.
