Awami League launches nationwide protests against Muhammad Yunus. [Photo: AFP Photo]
The Bangladesh Awami League has launched a nationwide agitation demanding the resignation of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. The party has also rejected the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) verdict that sentenced ousted PM Sheikh Hasina to death. The protests, which include demonstrations and resistance marches, will continue across all districts until November 30.
Calling the verdict “illegal,” the Awami League accused Yunus of acting as a “usurper” and a “killer-fascist.” In an official statement posted on X, the party wrote, "Demanding the Resignation of Illegal Usurper, Killer–Fascist Yunus and Rejecting the Verdict of the Illegal ICT Tribunal."
The ICT recently sentenced Sheikh Hasina and former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal to death after a trial held in absentia. Both leaders are believed to be in India.
Awami League leaders thanked their supporters for standing against the tribunal’s decision. The party said, "You have rejected this farcical judgment with contempt, and you have protested against it wherever possible."
They added that the verdict was delivered by a court “established by the illegal usurper, killer–fascist Yunus and his clique.”
The party claims that Muhammad Yunus is trying to keep Hasina and the Awami League out of the upcoming national elections. In the statement, the party alleged, "As part of that conspiracy, they staged this mockery of a trial in their own manufactured court."
The Awami League said it is engaging with political leaders, grassroots workers and local communities to counter “the web of plots woven by this occupying force.”
The statement added, "It is now clear to everyone that the Yunus clique is engaged in anti-state conspiracies. The people are ready to fight against these anti-liberation and anti-state forces. And the Awami League will lead that fight."
The party said it will intensify its agitation if needed. It warned, "A tough nationwide movement will be announced to defend the country. A staged election excluding the pro-liberation forces, the Awami League and Sheikh Hasina will not be allowed in Bangladesh. It will be resisted at any cost, Inshallah."
The Awami League leadership believes that mass action is necessary to prevent what it calls attempts to control the political process through “illegal” means.
Meanwhile, the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus has taken diplomatic steps after the verdict. Bangladesh has officially written to New Delhi seeking the extradition of Sheikh Hasina, following her death sentence by the ICT. Indian authorities have not issued any public statement yet on the request.
This confrontation between Yunus’s interim government and the Awami League comes at a sensitive time. Bangladesh is already facing uncertainty ahead of its next election. Analysts say the situation may escalate if both sides continue hardening their positions. Diplomatic observers also warn that Hasina’s potential extradition request could put India in a difficult geopolitical position.
