Bangladesh bans student wing of Sheikh Hasina’s party under anti-terror law

The Bangladesh interim government banned the student body of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday.

The interim government announced this decision while citing the involvement of the student body in violent attacks on the student protests that led to the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s government in August.

Sheikh Hasina fled Bangladesh in August, marking the end to her 15-year-long administration. After she left, the mob ransacked Ganabhaban. She wanted to record a farewell speech but with the sea of protesters fast approaching Ganabhaban, the army gave her 45 minutes to pack up and leave Bangladesh to save her life.

“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 in its report.

According to a government notification, the Chhatra League, a student wing of the Awami League, has faced numerous allegations during the party’s last three terms in office. These include accusations of “murders, persecution, torture… and many other activities that threaten public security”.

The notice mentioned that the Chatra League has been banned with immediate effect as per provisions of a 2009 anti-terror law.

Protests against Hasina’s government, which began peacefully in July, turned violent after Chhatra League members attacked student demonstrators on university campuses.

Attempts by pro-government groups to stop the protests only increased public anger, leading to Hasina’s ouster weeks later.

Officials estimated that over 700 people were killed, mostly in clashes between police and anti-Hasina protesters.

This month, a Bangladeshi court issued an arrest warrant for Hasina, who fled to India on the day she was overthrown.

Dozens of Hasina’s allies were detained after her government crumbled, accused of involvement in the police crackdown.

Former ministers and senior Awami League members have been arrested, and her appointees were removed from the courts and central bank.