Bangladesh bans activities of Awami League, the party of ousted PM Hasina

The determination comes aft a telephone for a committee to analyse the sidesplitting of protesters and found nationalist unity.

The interim authorities of Bangladesh has banned each activities of the enactment of erstwhile Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who was ousted past twelvemonth aft a student-led uprising.

The interim cabinet, headed by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, decided to prohibition the Awami League nether the Anti-Terrorism Act, Bangladesh’s instrumentality affairs adviser, Asif Nazrul, said precocious connected Saturday.

The prohibition would stay successful spot until the proceedings of the enactment and its enactment implicit the deaths of hundreds of protesters astatine the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) is completed, the authorities said successful the statement.

Awami League’s pupil wing, Bangladesh Chhatra League, was banned successful October aft being labelled a “terrorist organisation” for its relation successful convulsive attacks connected protesters during the uprising.

Thousands of protesters, including supporters of a newly formed students’ party, had been taking to the streets successful Dhaka for days to request a prohibition connected the Awami League.

The members of the pupil helping of the Jamaat-e-Islami enactment besides prominently took portion successful the protests.

A wide uprising that began with student-led protests successful July past twelvemonth led to the ousting of Hasina, who had ruled Bangladesh with an robust fist for 15 years.

Up to 1,400 radical whitethorn person been killed during 3 weeks of protests against Hasina and her government, according to a February study by the United Nations quality rights office. Hasina and galore of her elder enactment officials person been accused of execution and different offences arsenic a result.

In his announcement, Nazrul besides said the furniture expanded the scope for trying immoderate governmental parties involving charges of sidesplitting during the protests.

The alteration to the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act clears the mode for the Awami League to beryllium tried arsenic a corporate entity for alleged crimes committed during its clip successful power.

The determination to prohibition the enactment came hours aft Nazrul said a Truth and Reconciliation Commission would beryllium formed to underscore nationalist unity. The latest move, governmental analysts say, volition elude the unity needed for a creaseless modulation of powerfulness successful this South Asian federation of 170 cardinal people.

The National Citizen Party convener, Nahid Islam, who is besides a pupil leader, applauded the government decision.

But the Awami League, founded successful 1949, dismissed the determination arsenic illegitimate, posting connected its authoritative Facebook page: “All decisions of the amerciable authorities are illegal.”

Hasina has been surviving successful exile successful India since August 5, with her authoritative residence successful Bangladesh besides stormed by protesters soon aft she left.

Earlier this month, former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia returned to Dhaka aft 4 months of aesculapian attraction successful the British capital, London, raising unit connected the interim authorities to acceptable a day for nationalist elections.

Yunus has pledged reforms to governmental institutions and said the polls could beryllium delayed until 2026.

Source

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies