Bangladesh arrests Awami League activists marking 77th anniversary despite ban

Dhaka,UPDATED: Jun 23, 2026 15:38 IST

Dozens of activists linked to deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's now-disbanded Awami League were arrested overnight as they staged sporadic street marches across Bangladesh to mark the party's 77th founding anniversary in defiance of a nationwide security ban, authorities said on Tuesday.

The anniversary came amid heightened tensions, with the government deploying the army and Border Guard Bangladesh personnel in Dhaka and five other districts until June 30, and police saying they had acted to stop any rallies or gatherings by the party, which was disbanded after Hasina's ouster in 2024.

Founded on June 23, 1949, when present-day Bangladesh was East Pakistan, the Awami League is the country's oldest political party and led the 1971 Liberation War. The party was disbanded by the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government after Hasina's government was toppled on August 5, 2024, following a violent student-led street protest dubbed the July Uprising. The move was later endorsed by Parliament under the government led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

Through its social media platforms, the Awami League had urged supporters to hold digital discussions, hoist party flags, organise processions and conduct poster campaigns to mark the anniversary. A police headquarters spokesman said 26 activists of the "banned party" were arrested in Dhaka alone, while several others were detained elsewhere in the country for staging processions or trying to defy the ban.

"We have foiled their plan so far, and I hope that within the remaining time, they will not be able to bring out a procession, hold a rally or gather anywhere," Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mosleh Uddin Ahmed told a media briefing. The DMP later said in a statement that legal proceedings against those arrested were underway and that operations would continue to maintain public safety and law and order in the capital.

Despite the restrictions, Awami League social media platforms uploaded video clips showing party leaders and activists holding street marches, carrying party flags and banners, and raising slogans. On the eve of the anniversary, Hasina said in a social media post, "We were not born to be defeated." Hasina has been staying in India since her ouster in 2024. She was sentenced to death in absentia by Bangladesh's Crimes Tribunal over charges linked to attempts to suppress the student-led agitation.

In another social media post, the Awami League said, "We are returning with people's support with 10 times more strength." Bangladesh's mainstream media and online news platforms are barred from publishing or broadcasting Hasina's statements or the activities of the Awami League. However, in commentaries published by regional media outlets, Hasina has accused successive governments of using the judiciary as a political weapon, facilitating "mob terror", and creating a "farcical" electoral environment.

In Barishal district, Awami League activists reportedly staged unauthorised flash processions, prompting authorities to deploy extra police in riot gear. Media reports said troops were also deployed in Gopalganj, a traditional Awami League stronghold and the place where five protesters were killed in 2024 in police action during a march organised by leaders of the July Uprising, who later formed the youth-led Citizen Party.

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said on Monday that the Awami League no longer existed as an organisation. "There is no organisation by the name of Awami League," he told reporters when asked about the party's founding anniversary. On the same day, the government deployed the army and Border Guard Bangladesh personnel in aid of the civil administration as tensions rose over the anniversary celebrations and the reported deaths of two Awami League activists. A Home Ministry spokesman said military and BGB personnel were deployed in Dhaka and five other districts, including southwestern Gopalganj, Hasina's hometown, until June 30.

The redeployment came a week after troops were formally withdrawn to barracks following nearly two years of law-enforcement duties after Hasina's government was toppled in the student-led uprising. Authorities had earlier issued a nationwide security alert, citing intelligence inputs that Awami League supporters could try to create unrest around the June 23 anniversary.

Tensions had already risen after the deaths of two Awami League activists, one in police custody in Faridpur on June 20 and another who succumbed to his wounds after a police chase in Barishal on June 21. The incidents triggered local protests, including a brief blockade of a key highway linking Dhaka with Khulna. In a rare development, senior leaders of the ruling Bangladesh ist Party in Faridpur joined the funeral prayers of one of the deceased activists and criticised his custodial death, while authorities deployed troops to prevent any escalation. Overall, the anniversary was marked by arrests, heavy security deployment, scattered marches and renewed political tension around the banned Awami League.

With PTI Inputs

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