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Several political parties and groups in Bangladesh, including the National Citizens Party, Jamaat-e-Islami, and others, have been holding protests outside the residence of Bangladesh's Chief Advisor to the Interim Government, Muhammad Yunus, demanding a ban on the Awami League.
Awami League President and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted from power in a mass uprising on August 5 last year. Hasina fled to India, and an interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was formed. Almost all Awami League leaders and workers are currently in hiding. Bangladesh's former President and Awami League's veteran leader, Abdul Hamid, flew to Bangkok with his wife and brother-in-law on Thursday. The protests that began at 10 pm on Thursday in front of the Jamuna, the residence of the interim government's Chief Adviser, demanding a ban on Awami League continued on Friday. NCP convener, Nahid Islam said, "The first responsibility of the interim government was to ban the Awami League. We have made that demand outside and inside the government. But today, nine months later, we have had to take to the streets again to ban the Awami League". Protesters chanted slogans, "Ban, ban, ban Awami League". They also wrote slogans on the road surface with their demands. Traffic was stopped on the road in front of the Jamuna. A large number of the army and police have been deployed. Although processions and gatherings are prohibited on the road in front of the Jamuna, the law enforcement agencies have allowed the protesters to hold protests. "Jamuna is the headquarters of the interim government where the Chief Adviser Yunus resides. We saw the former President, an ally of the Awami League, was given a safe exit yesterday. We want the Awami League to be banned completely. It is not possible for a party that committed genocide to exist in Bangladesh. We have taken a stand here demanding that the Awami League be banned", a protester told ANI. While various groups, including the NCP, are demanding a ban on the Awami League, one of the largest political parties, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leaders have said they do not support the banning of any political party. Awami League is the oldest existing political party in Bangladesh, founded in June 23, 1949. The party led the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971. (ANI)
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