Latest news with #MuhammadYunus-led
Hans India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Awami League leaders placed under police remand in Bangladesh
Dhaka: In the continuing crackdown on Awami League, several leaders of the party were on Wednesday placed under police remand for interrogation by the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in Bangladesh. A Bangladesh court on Wednesday ordered an 18-day remand for Zafar Alam, former Member of Parliament and Awami League President of Chakaria Upazila, in connection with seven separate cases. The order was issued by Chakaria Senior Judicial Magistrate Anwarul Kabir following petitions filed by investigation officers, local media reported. Following the order, a number of Awami League leaders and activists took out a protest march in the Moghbazar area of Chakaria Municipality, alleging that Alam was harassed and arrested on false charges. "Zafar Alam was taken to Chakaria Court for remand hearing amidst tight security arrangements. The army, RAB and police have set up a tight security perimeter at various levels around the court. Due to the rain in the morning and the strict action taken by the law enforcement agencies, no chaotic situation was created," Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo quoted Chakaria Senior Judicial Magistrate Court Police Inspector Anwar Hossain as saying. In a separate development, a Dhaka court on Wednesday ordered a five-day remand for former Law Minister Anisul Haque. It also ordered a three-day remand for former Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain in connection with separate cases. Haque was arrested on August 11, 2024 after the fall of the former Awami League government in a violent uprising. Later, Mosharraf Hossain and Turin Afroz, the former prosecutor of the International Crimes Tribunal, were also arrested. In addition, the Bangladesh People's Party (BPP) Chairman, Babul Sardar Chakhari, was remanded for three days of police interrogation. The former Law Minister was put on remand following a police application in connection with a murder case filed at Shahbagh Police Station. According to media reports, the police produced Mosharraf Hossain and Babul Sardar Chakhari in court seeking a seven-day remand for questioning in an attempt to murder case filed at Paltan Police Station. Later, the court granted a three-day remand for interrogation. The Muhammad Yunus-led administration has issued several arrest warrants against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her family members, and Awami League supporters. Analysts reckon the developments as a major political vendetta being pursued by the interim government led by Yunus as several cases were filed against the former PM and her supporters on frivolous grounds, immediately after her ouster in August 2024. The unceremonious exit of Hasina last August was globally seen as a major setback to the democratic set-up in the country. The interim government has also received massive criticism for providing shelter to radical and extremist Islamic outfits.
Hans India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
UN human rights chief voices concern over Bangladesh law on political party ban
Geneva: United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has expressed grave concern over recent legislative amendments made under the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government in Bangladesh that allowed the ban of political parties, organisations, and their related activities. Addressing the 59th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday (local time), the UN human rights chief urged the interim government to make meaningful advances on reforms to create the environment for free and inclusive elections. "I am concerned about recent changes to legislation to allow the banning of political parties and organisations and all related activities. This unduly restricts the freedoms of association, expression, and assembly," said Turk. "I am encouraged that the Interim Government and political parties in Bangladesh are making progress through dialogue. I urge meaningful advances on reforms to create the environment for free and inclusive elections," he said. Previously, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) presented a fact-finding report that included suggestions in certain specific domains, such as accountability and justice, police and security, civic space, political system, and economic governance. According to the fact-finding report, the UN noted that prohibiting political parties would hinder a genuine transition to multiparty democracy and would essentially disenfranchise a significant portion of the Bangladeshi electorate. Recently, Human Rights Watch, a US-based advocacy group, severely criticised the Yunus regime for attempting to suppress the rights of supporters of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League party. The recent legislative initiatives by the interim government risk undermining fundamental freedoms, the rights body emphasised in a statement. "On May 12, the interim government ordered a 'temporary' ban on the Awami League using newly introduced powers under a draconian amendment to the Anti-Terrorism Act. The ban includes, among other actions, meetings, publications, and online speech supporting the party," said Human Rights Watch (HRW). "The ban on the Awami League will apply until party leaders have faced trial for abuses committed during their 15-year rule, a process that could last years, thus effectively proscribing the party. The interim government has prohibited all activities, including any kind of publication, media, online and social media, any kind of campaign, procession, meeting, gathering, conference, etc. by the Bangladesh Awami League, curtailing supporters' freedom of speech and association," it further added. Last month, Bangladesh's Election Commissioner Abdur Rahman Masud, addressing a workshop relating to elections, stated that the Awami League will not be able to participate in the General Elections. According to the Election Commissioner, the acceptability of conducting elections without the participation of the Awami League cannot be stated. The interim government issued a gazette notification on May 12 banning all activities of Hasina's party, Awami League, and its affiliate organisations. The ban was imposed under the Anti-Terrorism Act until the trial of the party and its leaders in Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) is completed. The ban included all activities, including any kind of publication, campaign in media, online and social media, procession, meeting, gathering, conference, etc.
Scroll.in
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Bangladesh's democratic fabric frays further
On May 16, small bands of Awami League supporters took out flash rallies across at least 30 locations in Dhaka and a few other towns of Bangladesh. These demonstrations were largely defiant in nature – to express their resentment against the May 10 'conditional' ban against the party which was ousted from power in August 2024. The Muhammad Yunus-led interim regime's decision to proscribe the Awami League stemmed from demands by a section of students who led the July-August 2024 movement against the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The ban, invoked under Bangladesh's 2009 Anti-Terrorism Act, was imposed nine months after the Yunus government assumed charge on August 8, 2024. It is being seen as a step that adversely impacts Bangladesh's already fragile democratic fabric which has time and again been subjected to assaults largely – and ironically – by political forces, including the now-proscribed party. Sheikh Hasina's ouster in August 2024 was widely expected to usher in a new era of democracy with better governance, fair elections, protection of human rights, and press freedom. That has not happened. Unkept promise The democratic values the interim administration promised to restore now appear compromised under the weight of its own authoritarian impulses. On its part, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, which had earlier indicated it was not opposed to the Awami League contesting elections, whenever they are held, did a volte face, supporting the ban. The ban on the Awami League raises serious concerns about unconstitutional practices and democratic backsliding. The proscription, to be in place till Awami League leaders are tried in the International Crimes Tribunal, allows the interim government to outlaw organisations deemed threats to national security. While the democratic space has severely shrunk in Bangladesh – there is no clarity on when elections will be held there – the media has not been immune to violent attacks and targeted vilification. Laws such as the 2023 Cyber Security Act (formerly Digital Security Act 2018) continue to be used to suppress dissent, curtail free speech, harass journalists, activists and political opponents. Media offices have been raided by law enforcement agencies, voices of independent bloggers, social media influencers and pro-democracy activists have been muzzled for criticising the interim regime's alliance with Islamist groups. Another alarming aspect of the current regime's conduct is the pattern of deaths in custody and allegations of torture. In its most recent report, Human Rights Watch expressed concern on the imposition of a ban, describing it as an 'excessive restriction on fundamental freedoms'. Political opposition Bangladeshi political parties such as the BNP and the Jamaat questioned the interim government's position as the rightful authority to implement the corridor, with geopolitical implications, without taking prior consent of the people or consulting the Myanmar government. Even Army chief General Waker-uz-Zaman stood firmly against the proposed 'humanitarian corridor', Amid a general sense of disenchantment with the Yunus government, the Awami League's marginalisation is reflected in the inability of its leaders and supporters, who fled Bangladesh in the wake of last year's violence to India, to regroup. Hasina has been using social media to interact regularly with party supporters at home, but there has been no visible attempt at recalibrating the party or even shaking up the organisational structure with a view to reform. Some commentators claim that the Awami League's inability to get a grip on itself and chart a fresh direction is an outcome of the Yunus regime's ' authoritarian excesses '. The ban on the Awami League has been compounded by an Election Commission decision to suspend the party's registration, which effectively prevents it from contesting elections, whenever they are held. The domestic political situation is ' fraught ', and almost explosive. Any delay in holding polls will unleash political forces – such as the Islamist outfits – in a country that has not witnessed a truly free and fair elections for nearly two decades. The Army, considered a powerful stakeholder in Bangladesh's politics, is in no mood to see a prolonged period of uncertainty. In September last year, Army chief General Waker-uz-Zaman had proposed an 18-month timeline for holding elections, but the Yunus-led interim regime has hemmed and hawed. Some government functionaries have advocated holding institutional reforms before holding elections. But now the 'humanitarian corridor' controversy has given the Army a strong reason to not only ensure Bangladesh's sovereignty does not get eroded but also hasten the process to hold early elections so it can ' return to the barracks '. Bangladesh's political firmament reflects a grim paradox – the students' community unseated Sheikh Hasina for being an authoritarian ruler; by the same token, Yunus' interim regime is being seen as increasingly dictatorial even as it continues to be supported by the students. There are allegations that the Yunus-led government is intolerant of dissent and is prepared to use disproportionately strong measures. Far from a transitional administration that was expected to guide the country toward free and fair elections, the interim authority appears to be centralising power. Unless this trend is checked, Bangladesh risks sinking deeper into autocracy.
Economic Times
04-06-2025
- General
- Economic Times
Bangladesh drops 'Father of the Nation' title for Mujibur Rahman as it amends freedom fighters' law
Bangladesh's interim government has dropped the "Father of the Nation" title for Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as it amended a legislation, revising the definition of freedom fighter, according to media reports on Wednesday. The move on Tuesday comes a few days after the Muhammad Yunus-led government dropped the portrait of the country's founding father and deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's father Mujibur Rahman from new currency notes. The interim government has amended the National Freedom Fighters Council Act, "altering" the definition of freedom fighter, The Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported. The Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs issued the related ordinance on Tuesday night, it said. The amendment to the law also "modifies the term 'Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman'", the report said. According to portal, "The words 'Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman' and portions of the law that mentioned the name of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman have been deleted." The Daily Star newspaper reported that the ordinance also makes slight changes to the definition of the Liberation War. "The new definition of Liberation War drops the name of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The previous one mentioned that the war was waged responding to Bangabandhu's call for independence," it said. According to the revised ordinance, all MNAs (members of the national assembly) and MPAs (members of the provincial assembly) associated with the wartime government-in-exile of Bangladesh (Mujibnagar Government), who were later considered members of the erstwhile constituent assembly, will now be categorised as "associates of the Liberation War", the Dhaka Tribune reported. Until now, they were recognised as freedom fighters. As per the amendment, all civilian individuals who, between March 26 and December 16, 1971, received combat training or made preparations for war within the country, enrolled in training camps in India with the aim of participating in the war, took up arms against the occupying Pakistani military forces and their local collaborators, in the pursuit of Bangladesh's independence, and who were within the government-determined minimum age at that time, will be recognised as freedom fighters. The local collaborators include Razakars, Al-Badr, Al-Shams, the then-Muslim League, Jamaat-e-Islami, Nezam-e-Islam and members of the peace committees. Members of the armed forces, East Pakistan Rifles (EPR), police, Mukti Bahini, the Mujibnagar government and its recognised forces, naval commandos, Kilo Force, and Ansar will also be included under the definition of freedom fighters. Women who were subjected to torture by the invading Pakistani forces and their collaborators during the war (Birangona) will also be recognised as freedom fighters under the new definition. Doctors, nurses and medical assistants who served injured fighters in field hospitals during the war will also be acknowledged as freedom fighters. The ordinance redefines Liberation War as the armed struggle carried out between March 26 and December 16, 1971, by the people of Bangladesh aiming to establish a sovereign democratic state founded on equality, human dignity and social justice, against the occupying Pakistani armed forces and their collaborators, the Dhaka Tribune report said. In January, the interim government introduced new textbooks for primary and secondary students for the 2025 academic year that state that Ziaur Rahman, who was an Army major and later a sector commander of the Liberation War, declared the country's independence in 1971, replacing the previous ones crediting founding father Mujibur Rahman with the declaration.
Time of India
04-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Bangladesh drops 'Father of the Nation' title for Mujibur Rahman as it amends freedom fighters' law
Bangladesh's interim government has dropped the "Father of the Nation" title for Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman as it amended a legislation, revising the definition of freedom fighter, according to media reports on Wednesday. The move on Tuesday comes a few days after the Muhammad Yunus-led government dropped the portrait of the country's founding father and deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina's father Mujibur Rahman from new currency notes. The interim government has amended the National Freedom Fighters Council Act, "altering" the definition of freedom fighter, The Dhaka Tribune newspaper reported. The Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs issued the related ordinance on Tuesday night, it said. The amendment to the law also "modifies the term 'Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman'", the report said. Live Events According to portal, "The words 'Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman' and portions of the law that mentioned the name of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman have been deleted." The Daily Star newspaper reported that the ordinance also makes slight changes to the definition of the Liberation War. "The new definition of Liberation War drops the name of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The previous one mentioned that the war was waged responding to Bangabandhu's call for independence," it said. According to the revised ordinance, all MNAs (members of the national assembly) and MPAs (members of the provincial assembly) associated with the wartime government-in-exile of Bangladesh ( Mujibnagar Government ), who were later considered members of the erstwhile constituent assembly, will now be categorised as "associates of the Liberation War", the Dhaka Tribune reported. Until now, they were recognised as freedom fighters. As per the amendment, all civilian individuals who, between March 26 and December 16, 1971, received combat training or made preparations for war within the country, enrolled in training camps in India with the aim of participating in the war, took up arms against the occupying Pakistani military forces and their local collaborators, in the pursuit of Bangladesh's independence, and who were within the government-determined minimum age at that time, will be recognised as freedom fighters. The local collaborators include Razakars , Al-Badr, Al-Shams, the then-Muslim League, Jamaat-e-Islami, Nezam-e-Islam and members of the peace committees. Members of the armed forces, East Pakistan Rifles (EPR), police, Mukti Bahini, the Mujibnagar government and its recognised forces, naval commandos, Kilo Force, and Ansar will also be included under the definition of freedom fighters. Women who were subjected to torture by the invading Pakistani forces and their collaborators during the war (Birangona) will also be recognised as freedom fighters under the new definition. Doctors, nurses and medical assistants who served injured fighters in field hospitals during the war will also be acknowledged as freedom fighters. The ordinance redefines Liberation War as the armed struggle carried out between March 26 and December 16, 1971, by the people of Bangladesh aiming to establish a sovereign democratic state founded on equality, human dignity and social justice, against the occupying Pakistani armed forces and their collaborators, the Dhaka Tribune report said. In January, the interim government introduced new textbooks for primary and secondary students for the 2025 academic year that state that Ziaur Rahman, who was an Army major and later a sector commander of the Liberation War, declared the country's independence in 1971, replacing the previous ones crediting founding father Mujibur Rahman with the declaration.
