The interim government on Saturday banned all activities of the Awami League in cyberspace and elsewhere under the Anti-Terrorism Act until the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) completes the trial of the party and its leaders.

“This decision aims to ensure national security, protect activists of the July movement, and safeguard plaintiffs and witnesses involved in the tribunal proceedings,” Law Adviser Prof Asif Nazrul told the media after a special meeting of the advisory council at night.

The advisory council’s special meeting, chaired by Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus, also approved an amendment to the International Crimes Tribunal Act, 1973, said the law adviser.

“The tribunal will now have the authority to punish political parties, their affiliated organisations, or support groups,” said Nazrul.

A formal circular in this regard will be issued on the next working day.

Besides, the advisory council resolved to finalise and publish the July Declaration within the next 30 working days.

The government took the decisions following demonstrations calling for banning the Awami League, which intensified over the last few days.

Different political parties, including the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizen Party (NCP), brought out jubilant processions following the announcement of banning the Awami League. Jamaat also held a ‘Shokrana Rally’ at Moghbazar in the capital.

NCP Convener Nahid Islam on his verified Facebook page demanded implementations of all the government decisions within a short time. He also urged the Election Commission to cancel Awami League’s registration within a short time.

Earlier, voices calling for declaring the Awami League a terrorist outfit and banning it forever got louder at a rally at the Shahbagh intersection in the city on Saturday, the third consecutive day of the movement.

The demonstrators initially demanded to officially declare the Awami League a terrorist outfit by Saturday evening and ban it within the next 24 hours. When that demand was not met, they announced to march towards Chief Adviser Yunus’ official residence Jamuna to press home their demand.

Meanwhile, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) imposed a ban for an indefinite period on any public gathering and procession at a number of places, including areas adjacent to the secretariat, Jamuna, InterContinental Dhaka intersection, Kakrail intersection, Officers’ Club intersection, and Minto Road.

Despite the police ban, the protesters demanding a ban on the Awami League moved towards InterContinental Dhaka on Saturday evening when they faced a police barricade.

Protesters at the Shahbagh intersection said the Awami League should be banned because they carried out genocide to suppress the July-August mass upsurge and committed other crimes, including enforced disappearances and killing in the name of crossfires, during its 15 years and six months regimes.

They demanded to bring the Awami League as a political party to book, along with punishment for the collaborators of the fascists.

They also sought the declaration of the July proclamation as soon as possible.

Braving the scorching heat, hundreds of thousands of people gathered at the Shahbagh intersection and nearby areas and continued their demonstrations till the announcement was made.

The participants bore banners and festoons with various slogans demanding to ban the Awami League.

Led by the NCP, Jamaat-e-Islami, AB Party, Hefazat-e-Islam Bangladesh, Islami Oikya Jote, Gono Odhikar Parishad, Bangladesh Labour Party, Jatiya Ganotantrik Party, Janata Party Bangladesh, Islami Chhatra Shibir, Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, UP Bangladesh, July Oikya, and Inquilab Mancha took part in the mass gathering.

Expressing solidarity, Janatar Dal and Islami Andolan Bangladesh joined the Shahbagh movement.

Besides, people who were injured during the mass uprising and their families along with students of different educational institutions participated in the demonstration.

NCP Member Secretary Akhtar Hossain said that the Awami League does not have the right to do politics as it committed genocide. “The Awami League is not a political party. It is a terrorist and fascist group. The July Janata (people) will resist if any local or foreign power tries to bring back the Awami League to politics again.”

“The Awami League will have to be declared a terrorist organisation and it must be banned. The party will have to be brought to trial under the ICT Act after its amendment,” he said.

He urged all anti-fascists to express solidarity with them to ban the Awami League.

NCP Organiser (South Region) Hasnat Abdullah urged all to continue the movement to ban the Awami League even if he declares an end to it under pressure from conspirators.

He said no conspiracy, pressure and division can break down the “July unity.”

The front line leader of the July-August mass uprising vowed not to leave the streets until a ban on the Awami League is imposed.

“Bangladesh is divided into two parts today. One is a fascist force and the other is a Bangladeshi force. Those who do not want the Awami League banned are the fascist force, and those who want the Awami League banned are the Bangladeshi forces,” he said.

Recalling the 2013 Shahbagh movement, Ganajagaran Mancha, he said the movement was the footprints of fascists and they would put the last treenail to collapse fascism forever from there.

He called upon the people to hold demonstrations on a single platform instead of separate ones.

Gono Odhikar Parishad President Nurul Haque Nur at a separate demonstration at Purana Paltan said that there will be no compromise over the question of banning the Awami League.

He posed a question to the NCP Convener Nahid Islam why he did not take steps to ban the Awami League even after carrying out the duty of an adviser of the interim government.

Protests across the country demanding AL ban

The demonstrations to ban the Awami League were also held in Rajshahi, Chattogram, Rangpur, Sylhet, Khulna, and other districts.

In Sylhet, some political parties and people from all walks of life gathered in front of the Central Shaheed Minar around 3pm. They also demanded banning the Awami League and declaration of the July proclamation.

In Chattogram, a huge number of people flocked to the New Market area and staged demonstrations to ban the party. 

BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said that 18 crore people in the country do not want Awami League.

He made the remarks while addressing a mammoth gathering titled “Rally for Protecting Political Rights of Youth” organised by the Jatiyatabadi Jubo Dal, Chhatra Dal, and Shechchhasebak Dal in the port city’s Railway Polo-ground on Saturday.

Fakhrul said the people do not want the Awami League because they have unleashed torture on the countrymen since the independence, destroyed democracy, and media freedom, and introduced one-party rule.

On Saturday afternoon, IAB Joint Secretary General Ashraful Alam said, “We never expected we'd have to take to the streets to demand the Awami League ban. The people have already shunned them on 5 August 2024. So, why hasn't the government implemented the people's ruling? Today, there's a meeting of the advisory council, and we hope they will ban the party so that we no longer have to take to the streets.”

Joining the protest, IAB Secretary General Yunus Ahmad said the Awami League has always been a party of terrorism and extortion. “That is why we have repeatedly said they must be banned. They should never be allowed to do politics here again.

“As long as their politics continues in this country, hypocrisy with the nation will persist. The movement must continue until the Awami League is banned. In the meantime, Islami Andolan will remain active on the ground.”

At the Shahbagh rally, Khelafat Majlish Joint Secretary General Maulana Ataullah Amin said the movement will continue until the Awami League is banned.

Maulana Habibullah Miyaji, ameer of the Bangladesh Khilafat Andolan, said they will not return home until their demand is met.