What Happened in Dhaka? Awami League Office Attacked by Mob
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Mob violence erupted against the Awami League in Dhaka.
- The attack occurred during a politically charged lockdown announcement.
- Eyewitnesses reported involvement from students' union members.
- The Awami League condemned the violence and criticized the interim government.
- Concerns grow over the future of democracy in Bangladesh.
Dhaka, Nov 13 (NationPress) In a disturbing incident of unrest in Bangladesh, a mob on Thursday vandalised and ignited a fire at the Awami League's central office located in the Gulistan district of Dhaka, as reported by local media.
According to eyewitness accounts, the assault was carried out by members of the students' union who were chanting slogans such as "Naraye Takbir, Allahu Akbar", as detailed by Bangladesh’s Bengali daily Jugantor.
This violent episode unfolded amidst the Awami League's newly announced "Dhaka Lockdown Programme", which pertains to the Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal's impending verdict regarding former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, expected on November 17.
Earlier on the same day, members of the radical Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami's student faction, Islami Chhatra Shibir, had assembled outside the Awami League’s headquarters to protest against the lockdown initiative.
The Awami League condemned the violence, denouncing the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, asserting, “This is the democratic reform Yunus and his associates advocate, where the major political party faces incessant attacks from the interim government and its allies.”
In a prior statement, the Awami League called on its leaders, members, and supporters to remain alert against what they termed the “conspiracies” of the Yunus-led interim administration regarding the “Dhaka Lockdown” initiative.
The party accused the “illegitimate, usurping, fascist regime of Yunus and his cohorts” of unjustly stripping the Awami League of its democratic rights while infringing upon the human rights of its members, mocking justice through “false and harassing” legal actions.
According to multiple news sources, the Awami League claims that “acts of violence and terrorism” are being carried out with the tacit approval of the Yunus administration nationwide.
“We have consistently warned this illegitimate occupying force. We have stated that Awami League leaders and activists are prepared to fight for their rights through struggle and activism. True to its legacy, the Awami League has launched a political strategy to reclaim those rights. The public has already reacted positively to the announced Dhaka Lockdown programme. The overwhelming public support has alarmed the illegal occupiers, and the events in Dhaka over the past two days clearly demonstrate the success of the Awami League’s initiative,”
the statement from the Awami League concluded.