Politics
Banned Awami League Resurfaces with Flash Processions in Dhaka
Banned political party Awami League and its affiliates have intensified flash processions in Dhaka this September, raising fresh concerns for law enforcement.
On Friday (12 September), activists gathered near the National Citizens’ Party office in Banglamotor and marched towards Gulshan, before police arrested 12 people. The previous day, two separate flash processions in Mirpur led to the arrest of 18 individuals.
Earlier in the month, police detained a former Chhatra League leader during a procession near the Parliament area on 7 September. On 5 September, rallies in Tejgaon and Dhanmondi saw several arrests, though many escaped. A dawn procession in Banani on 2 September went unchallenged, with no arrests made.
Law enforcement officials said preventive measures are needed at the gathering stage, not just arrests. However, questions have surfaced on social media over how banned organizations are still able to stage open demonstrations under heavy surveillance.
Awami League’s downfall came during the August 2024 mass uprising, after which former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India. On 10 May 2025, the government officially banned the party’s organizational activities pending the verdict in an international crimes tribunal case.
BNP leader and former state minister for home affairs Lutfozzaman Babar has said that acting BNP chairman Tarique Rahman will soon return to Bangladesh. He made the statement on Sunday (14 September) after holding a two-hour meeting with former home affairs adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury at the Ministry of Home Affairs — a visit he made after nearly 19 years.
Babar, who was convicted in multiple cases including the 2004 ten-truck arms smuggling case, was acquitted from all charges in 2024 following the fall of the Awami League government. On December 18, 2024, he was freed from a death sentence under the Special Powers Act.
First arrested in May 2007, Babar spent years in detention facing death and life sentences in different cases. His appearance at the ministry on Sunday drew attention, as no BNP leaders accompanied him during the visit.
BNP and Jamaat have emerged as the dominant political forces in southern Cumilla ahead of the 13th national elections, while Awami League leaders appear less active on the ground.
The Election Commission’s recent boundary changes in Cumilla-9, 10, and 11 have sparked dissatisfaction among local BNP and Jamaat leaders. In Cumilla-11, Jamaat’s Deputy Amir Dr. Syed Taher is seen as a strong contender, though intra-party rivalry is intensifying within BNP.
Observers note that voters in border constituencies will play a decisive role, while the public at large expects a fair and competitive election.
Shafiqul Alam, Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, has announced that the national election will be held by February 15. He made the statement on Friday during a visit to the railway project site and the residence of poet Farrukh Ahmad in Magura.
Speaking to reporters, Alam noted that differences of opinion among political parties are natural but reaffirmed that the election will take place within the stipulated timeframe.
During the visit, the poet’s family expressed concern that the railway project might damage their home. Project officials assured them that the residence would remain unaffected.
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