Bangladesh suspends Hasina's Awami League registration, bars party from election
People celebrate after the interim government officially banned all the activities of the Bangladesh Awami League, until the trial of the party and its leader, following the demand of the protesters, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, May 10, 2025. PHOTO:REUTERS
Bangladesh's Election Commission has suspended the registration of the Awami League, effectively banning former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s party from contesting future national elections.
The move follows a government action led by the interim administration of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, which cited national security concerns and ongoing investigations into crimes against humanity under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The suspension means the Awami League — a party that governed Bangladesh for over 20 years and led the country’s Liberation War in 1971 — is now legally disqualified from participating in elections unless the ban is lifted and its registration restored.
The Election Commission has also prohibited all political activity by the party and its affiliates, including public rallies, media campaigns, online engagement, and organisational operations, until the International Crimes Tribunal concludes its inquiry into alleged abuses by party leadership.
The dramatic development follows months of deadly unrest triggered by the July 2024 student protests, which escalated into mass anti-government demonstrations.
Hasina fled to India in August, and Yunus’ non-partisan interim government took charge, pledging democratic reforms and proposing a delay in elections until 2026.
About 1,500 people died in the hasina government's crackdown on protests with the interim government announcing that as many as 3,500 might have been forcibly abducted during her 15-year rule.
Sheikh Hasina and senior Awami League leaders are under investigation for alleged human rights violations, electoral manipulation, and the violent suppression of dissent.
This political ban has drawn concern from both national and international observers, with critics warning it may set a dangerous precedent for collective punishment and weaken democratic pluralism.
Supporters argue it is necessary to dismantle authoritarianism and ensure accountability.
The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Begum Khaleda Zia, and the newly formed National Citizen Party have called for a swift return to democratic governance, though they differ on the timeline.
The BNP demands early elections, while the Citizen Party insists reforms must come first.