The interim government of Bangladesh banned the student organization associated with former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday.
This action was taken in light of the group’s involvement in violent incidents during protests that contributed to Sheikh Hasina’s ousting in August. Following her departure, a mob vandalized Ganabhaban. Hasina attempted to record a farewell address, but as protesters approached, the army gave her just 45 minutes to flee the country to ensure her safety.
“The Bangladesh government has banned the Bangladesh Chhatra League — the student wing of the Bangladesh Awami League — under the Anti-Terrorism Act,” an official statement was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.
The government notification detailed that the Chhatra League had faced multiple allegations throughout Hasina’s three terms, including “murders, persecution, torture… and many other activities that threaten public security.”
The ban takes effect immediately under the provisions of a 2009 anti-terror law.
Protests against Hasina’s administration, which began peacefully in July, escalated into violence when Chhatra League members attacked student demonstrators on university campuses. Efforts by pro-government groups to quell the protests only fueled public outrage, resulting in Hasina’s removal weeks later.
It is estimated that over 700 people died, primarily in clashes between police and anti-Hasina protesters.
Recently, a Bangladeshi court issued an arrest warrant for Hasina, who fled to India on the day she was overthrown.
Numerous allies of Hasina were detained after her government collapsed, facing accusations of participating in the police crackdown. Former ministers and high-ranking Awami League officials have been arrested, and her appointees were removed from key positions in the courts and the central bank.