Government bans the Awami League’s youth wing
In the last 15 years, the Bangladesh Chhatra League has been a tool of repression for former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's party and its members have been charged in connection with dozens of very serious crimes. The student movement that led to the resignation of the former government had given the current administration a week to ban the organisation.
Dhaka (AsiaNews) – The Bangladeshi government has decided to ban the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), under pressure from the student movement that led to the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Last night the Ministry of Home Affairs issued an official notice to enforce the ban.
The decision came after a press conference by Hasnat Abdullah, convener of the protest movement, who urged the government to act within 24 hours in line with the concerns of the National Citizens' Committee.
The ministerial notification highlighted the involvement of the BCL (a youth wing of the Awami League, the party of former Prime Minister Hasina) in activities that threatened public safety, including murder, extortion, tender manipulation, sexual assault, and other forms of violence.
In the last 15 years of the Awami League's rule, some BCL members have been involved in acts of terrorism.
The ministerial note also mentioned the BCL’s role League during the demonstrations that began on 15 July. The group's armed attacks during the protests resulted in the deaths of numerous students and civilians.
Even after the fall of the Awami League government, the organisation continued with conspiratorial and terrorist activities against the state, forcing the current interim government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, to intervene.
During the press conference, Hasnat Abdullah warned the government that failure to act would lead to further unrest.
“We demand that the interim government immediately ban the Bangladesh Chhatra League as a terrorist organisation,” he said. “We set a deadline a week ago, and now only one day remains.”
The Bangladesh Chhatra League was formed in 1948, a year before the Awami League, under the name of East Pakistan Muslim Chhatra League.
It played a key role in Bangladesh’s War of Independence, but was then faced by a series of allegations, including murder, rape, and violent repression of student demonstrations. In 2019, both its president and the secretary general were removed for corruption.
Obaidul Quader, former leader of the Chhatra League and current general secretary of the Awami League, expressed his dismay over the situation. “We do not want a Chhatra League that engages in such wrongdoing,” he said.
Analysts believe that over the years the Chhatra League lost its independent identity and became a campus-based extension of the Awami League during Hasina's rule.
Irregularities in leadership elections was one key issue. Councils, which are supposed to be held every three to four years, have been conducted sporadically, and failed to elect leaders through a democratic process. As a result, the Chhatra League ceased to represent the interests of students and instead became a tool of the ruling party.
Despite the many accusations, Chhatra League president Saddam Hossain, and secretary-general Sheikh Wali Asif Inan, have always denied any wrongdoings. In a press release, they said that the allegations were false and fabricated and defended the organisation's legacy.
“Every inch of Bangladesh's 56,000 square miles is soaked with the holy blood of Chhatra League leaders and activists. As long as Bangladesh exists, so will our red-green flag, 'Amar Sonar Bangla,' and 'Jai Bangla.' The Chhatra League will remain immortal and indestructible,” the statement read.
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