Bangladesh bans activities of ousted PM Hasina’s party following protests

DHAKA (Reuters) - Bangladesh’s interim authorities has banned each activities of the Awami League, the governmental enactment of deposed erstwhile Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, nether the country’s Anti-Terrorism Act, citing nationalist information concerns.

The decision, announced precocious Saturday, follows days of thoroughfare protests led by the student-driven National Citizen Party, which emerged from past year’s uprising that toppled Hasina.

Several Islamist and right-wing parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami and different absorption groups, joined the demonstrations, demanding the Awami League beryllium designated a violent organisation.

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

The authorities besides announced an amendment to the ICT Act, allowing the tribunal to prosecute not lone individuals but besides governmental parties and organisations. The alteration clears the mode for the Awami League to beryllium tried arsenic a corporate entity for alleged crimes committed during its clip successful power.

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

The state has seen rising tensions and protests successful caller months, aft deadly protests forced Hasina to fly to India successful August and an interim authorities led by Nobel Peace laureate Muhammad Yunus took charge.

Yunus pledged reforms and said the canvass could beryllium delayed until 2026.

The unrest began successful July with pupil protests against nationalist assemblage occupation quotas, but rapidly morphed into 1 of the deadliest periods of governmental unit since Bangladesh’s independency successful 1971.

In October, the authorities banned the Awami League’s pupil wing, Bangladesh Chhatra League, labeling it a “terrorist organisation” for its relation successful convulsive attacks connected protesters.

(Reporting by Ruma Paul; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)