Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League Banned By Bangladesh Government

Bangladesh’s interim government on Saturday banned the Awami League, the political party of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, pending the outcome of a trial over its crackdown on mass protests that prompted her ouster last year.

“It has been decided to ban the activities — including in cyberspace — of the Awami League under the Anti-Terrorism Act until the trial of the Awami League and its leaders ends,” Asif Nazrul, a government advisor on law and justice, told reporters.

Nazrul said the decision was taken to ensure the country’s “sovereignty and security” and “the security of the protesters” along with safeguarding “the plaintiffs and the witnesses of the tribunal.”