Awami League, all its affiliates now officially banned
The ban will remain in effect until the trial of the party and its leaders
Highlights:
- This will be effective immediately
- The ban will stay in effect till the trials of the leaders of AL and its affiliate organisations are complete
- The ban covers all activities, including any kind of publication, campaign on media, online and social media, procession, gathering, conference
- Of AL's affiliates, the Bangladesh Chhatra League was banned earlier in October
- Govt says it has evidence AL and its affiliates are involved in criminal activities aiming to render the state ineffective
The interim government has officially banned the Awami League and all its affiliate organisations under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The ban will stay in effect till the trials of the leaders of AL and its affiliate organisations are complete, reads a gazette notification, seen by The Business Standard, issued in this regard today (12 May).
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The notification states that all activities by the AL and its affiliates will remain banned "until the trial of the leaders and activists of Bangladesh Awami League and all its subsidiary organisations, associate organisations and fraternal organisations is completed at the International Crimes Tribunal."
The ban covers all activities, including any kind of publication, campaign on media, online and social media, procession, meeting, gathering, conference, etc.
This will be effective immediately.
The notification also stated that the "the government has sufficient evidence that the Bangladesh Awami League and all its subsidiary, associate and fraternal organisations are involved in various criminal activities with the aim of destabilising and rendering the state ineffective, and are engaged in various illegal activities and conspiracies similar to terrorist organisations with the aim of spreading fear in the public mind."
It further states that the government "reasonably believes that it is appropriate to declare a ban on all activities of the party" and all its affiliates under the powers conferred by Section 18(1) of the Anti-Terrorism (Amendment) Ordinance, 2025 and the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009.
Of AL's affiliates, the Bangladesh Chhatra League was banned earlier in October after it was declared a terrorist organisation. The others who fall are associate organisations according to the party's constitution are the Bangladesh Mahila League Bangladesh Awami Jubo League, Awami Swecchashebok League, Awami Ainjibee Parishad, Bangladesh Tanti League and the Swadhinata Chikitshak Parishad.
The latest developments come two days after the interim government decided to ban all activities of Awami League, including cyberspace, under the Anti Terrorism Act until the trial of the party and its leaders in the face of protests led by the National Citizen Party (NCP).
It also approved an amendment to the International Crimes Tribunal Act, allowing the Tribunal to punish any political party, its affiliated organisations, or supporter groups.
Earlier last night, President Mohammed Shahabuddin promulgated an ordinance amending the Anti-Terrorism Act, prohibiting any form of publicity, including press statements, social media content, or public gatherings in support of any individuals or entities tried in the act, which ends such activities stemming from the Awami League.
A gazette notification in this regard was published last night.
The draft was approved in a meeting of the Advisory Council chaired by the Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus yesterday.
Key changes to the law include amendments to Section 20. The revised language broadens the scope of restrictions by replacing the previous reference to "listed individuals or banned entities" with a more general phrase: "any individual or entity against whom action has been taken under sub-section (1) of Section 18."
Notably, the updated clause prohibits any form of publicity, including press statements, social media content, or public gatherings in support of such individuals or entities.
Earlier yesterday (11 May), the CA Press Wing, in a press statement, said the draft amendments include a new provision that will ban the activities of any banned entities or individuals.
As there is no provision in the present Act regarding the banning of activities of any entity, it was appropriate and necessary to further amend the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009 to make it timely, reads the press statement.
In this context, amendments have been made to the Anti-Terrorism Act to include provisions for banning the activities of entities, as well as necessary adaptations, and restrictions on dissemination through online and social media platforms.
To fulfill the objectives of this Act, the government, based on reasonable grounds, may, through notification in an official gazette, list a person involved in terrorist activities in the schedule, or declare an entity as banned and list it in the schedule.
This comes after an amendment to the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, 1973, to empower the tribunals to try the Awami League on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity and punish it if found guilty.
Amidst protests demanding a ban on the Awami League (AL), the amendments have been brought to the law to try the party.
The interim government at an emergency Advisory Council meeting decided to ban the party under the anti-terror laws on Saturday night (10 May).
