Awami League's History of Bans and Terminations

Bangladesh's immediate past ruling party Awami League was overthrown on 5 August 2024 through a countrywide mass uprising. Awami League President and ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina escaped to India on the same day. Awami League's 76 years long history shows that the party faced bans and political terminations several times in the past.

The latest ban was slapped on Awami League on 10 May 2025. The interim government in Bangladesh has declared Awami League's activities null and void until trials against the party's leaders are finished. Awami League leaders including Sheikh Hasina and her family members are facing allegations of genocides, human rights violations, enforced disappearances, corruption etcetera.

The political crisis and darkness that have engulfed Awami League this time is much more intensified than ever before. The July Uprising unseated Awami League which was in power from 2009 to 2024. Sheikh Hasina and many other senior Awami League leaders have fled away to India and other foreign countries.

Prosecution is at present going on against Awami League leaders on charges of mass murders, extrajudicial killings, crackdown on political opponents and so on which took place during last 15 years. Unabated corruption, widespread politicization and nepotism have overshadowed Awami League which also includes crimes like the party's adherence to autocracy and anti-democratic activities.

Under these circumstances different political parties and civil society groups raised strong demands to ban Awami League. The interim government in Bangladesh has forbidden Awami League's political programs indefinitely.

Awami League was first launched in 1949 with the name East Pakistan Awami Muslim League which was renamed Awami League in 1955.

Martial law was imposed all over Pakistan on 7 October 1958. General Ayub Khan terminated Iskander Mirza from power on 27 October 1958 and became Pakistan's President.

Ayub Khan issued an order named Political Parties Elected Bodies Disqualified Ordinance or PPODO which included Awami League too.

Awami League leaders back then like Hossain Shaheed Suhrawardy and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman were arrested at that time and they remained under detention and strong surveillance till 1963. Pakistani English newspaper Dawn has published an article "From Martial Law to Democracy: Pakistan's Long History of Banning Political Parties" which describes the political ups and downs in Pakistan since the country's inception till today.

According to political analyst Mohiuddin Ahmed, Awami League reorganized itself later on and returned to mainstream politics. Ayub Khan incorporated Basic Democracy in Pakistan's constitution during 1962. This addition to Pakistan's constitution allowed different political parties to carry on their programs on a limited scale, Mohiuddin Ahmed stated.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Tajuddin Ahmed and some other young Awami League leaders raised the 6 Points demand in 1966. Awami League had to deal with a lot of adversities from 1966 to 1969.

The Pakistan Army cracked down on civilians in the then East Pakistan on 25 March night in 1971 under the name "Operation Searchlight". The then Pakistan President Yahiya Khan addressed the nation on 26 March 1971 saying that Awami League was a treacherous political party and he added that Awami League was prohibited. Bangladeshi English newspaper The Daily Star and Pakistan's English newspaper Dawn published articles narrating Yahiya Khan's proclamation carrying a ban on Awami League during 1971.
 
However, Awami League came back in power in independent Bangladesh following the Liberation War of 1971. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was inside prison at that time but Syed Nazrul Islam, Captain Mansur Ali and Tajuddin Ahmed formed Mujibnagar Sarker in India's Agartala on 10 April 1971.

The Pakistan Army surrendered in Dhaka on 16 December 1971. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was released from Pakistan's prison and he came back to Bangladesh on 10 January 1972. Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with almost all his family members was assassinated in Dhaka on 15 August 1975 in the wake of which Awami League became politically dysfunctional. Four senior Awami League leaders Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed, Captain Mansur Ali and AHM Quamruzzaman were assassinated inside jail on 3rd November 1975. Sheikh Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana survived the assassinations because they both were abroad during 1975. Sheikh Hasina came back to Bangladesh on 17 May 1981 and reorganized and reunited Awami League.
 
Awami League won the elections in 1996 and remained in power till 2001. Then again Awami League won the parliamentary polls in December 2008 and clung to power from 2009 to 2024. During this ruling period of 15 years, Sheikh Hasina stuck hard to the Prime Minister post and the elections in 2014, 2018 and 2024 were tattered with controversies and complaints including rigged polls and stuffing ballot boxes at night.
 
The Anti-Discriminatory Students' Movement began in July 2024 demanding the abolition of quotas in government jobs and violent clashes broke out between demonstrators and police force. Thousands of protesters were killed during the unprecedented mass upsurge. Finally Sheikh Hasina ran away from Bangladesh and flew to India and thus the 15 years ruling period of Awami League came to an end. Awami League is right now in the middle of deep uncertainty and gloomy circumstances because of the official ban on its activities.
 
An interim government led by Nobel Prize winner Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus took oath on 8 August 2024 following Sheikh Hasina's overthrow a couple of days earlier.

>>BBC