AL activities remain banned as parliament turns anti-terror ordinance into law
The House also passes bill to provide immunity to July Uprising participants
The National Parliament has approved the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Ordinance issued by the interim government, incorporating provisions to ban all activities of individuals or entities involved in terrorist acts. With the ordinance now turned into a law, the activities of the Awami League remain banned.
Earlier, through the ordinance amending the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009, the interim government had banned all activities of the Bangladesh Awami League until the completion of trials against the party and its leaders at the International Crimes Tribunal.
Previously, the law did not include provisions to ban an entity outright. It only allowed the government to list individuals or entities involved in terrorism through a gazette notification. Under that provision, the interim government had declared Bangladesh Chhatra League a terrorist organisation on 23 October 2024. Later, on 11 May 2025, the law was amended to ban all activities of the Awami League without formally banning the party itself.
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At the same time, the parliament passed nine ordinances issued during the interim government period as bills, including the July Mass Uprising (Protection and Liability Determination) Ordinance, aimed at granting legal immunity to participants of the 2024 July Uprising.
The bills were passed by voice vote without clause-by-clause discussion during the parliamentary session held yesterday under the chairmanship of Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed.
Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed placed the anti-terror bill in parliament for passage.
The home minister, in his remarks, described the amendment as necessary to prohibit a "genocidal terrorist organisation." He said the decision followed public opinion shaped by a broader political movement involving multiple parties, adding that the party's registration with the Election Commission remains suspended. He also noted that related amendments had been made to allow organisational trials under relevant laws.
The law allows the government to ban any entity involved in terrorist activities and prohibit all forms of its operations. This includes banning press statements, publications, media and online propaganda, social media activities, rallies, meetings, press conferences and public speeches conducted by or on behalf of such entities.
A parliamentary special committee had recommended approving 98 ordinances as they were and 15 with amendments, out of 133 issued during the interim government period. Among the amended ones was the Anti-Terrorism ordinance.
Protection for July uprising participants
The July Mass Uprising (Protection and Liability Determination) Act, 2026, which will be deemed effective from 25 January 2026 and retrospectively from 1 July 2024, distinguishes between "political resistance" – actions aimed at restoring democracy by removing an authoritarian regime – and "criminal misuse of disorder," referring to acts such as killings carried out for personal or narrow interests.
The law states that its provisions will prevail over any conflicting laws. It also bars the filing of new cases against participants and mandates the withdrawal of all existing civil or criminal cases related to their involvement in the uprising.
Other laws passed
Parliament also passed several other laws by voice vote, including Government Audit Act, 2026; Protection and Conservation of Fish (Amendment) Act, 2026; Sheikh Hasina Rural Development Academy, Jamalpur Act; Water Supply and Sewerage Authority Act; Repeal of the Security of the Father of the Nation's Family Members Act; Spatial Planning Act, 2026; and Abandoned Buildings (Supplementary Provisions) (Amendment) Act, 2026.
Later in the day, four more bills were passed, including amendments to the Special Security Force Act, Bangladesh Investment Development Authority Act, repeal of the Private Export Processing Zones Act, and amendments to the Code of Civil Procedure.
