Bangladesh’s interim government rules out ban on ousted PM Sheikh Hasina’s party

The Bangladeshi interim government has announced that it has no plans to ban the Awami League, the political party of ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

This decision has put the government at odds with the student revolutionaries who played a key role in overthrowing her leadership last year.

Sheikh Hasina's 15-year rule was marked by allegations of severe human rights violations, including a violent crackdown on protests last year that resulted in the deaths of more than 800 people. Many student leaders, who are still mourning the loss of their fellow activists, have demanded that the party be outlawed.

Despite these calls, Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, the de facto leader of the caretaker government, has made it clear that there are no such plans.

A government statement released Thursday confirmed: "Professor Yunus stated that the interim government has no plans to ban the party. However, individuals within its leadership who are accused of crimes, including murder and crimes against humanity, will be tried in Bangladesh’s courts."

Authorities in Dhaka have already issued arrest warrants for Sheikh Hasina and her allies, who fled to India following her removal from power. A recent UN human rights mission reported “systematic attacks and killings” carried out by Hasina’s government in an effort to cling to power. The findings suggest there were reasonable grounds to believe that crimes against humanity - including murder, torture, and imprisonment - had taken place.

With elections expected by June next year, students continue to push for the complete ban of the Awami League. While the party’s student wing was banned last October due to its involvement in violent attacks on protesters, the government has left the status of its parent organisation undecided.

Political figures from new student-backed parties have expressed their disappointment over the decision. Hasnat Abdullah, a prominent student leader, wrote on Facebook: "The Awami League has to be banned."

Similarly, Nasir Uddin Patwary warned last month that if the party is not outlawed, it could lead to civil war in Bangladesh, as reported by Prothom Alo.

Adding to the opposition, Shafiqul Rahman, leader of Bangladesh’s main Islamist party, Jamaat, stated on social media that the public "will not accept the rehabilitation of the Awami League."