Why are 1,593 Awami League Leaders and Activists Detained by Police?

Dhaka, Aug 5 (NationPress) The Bangladesh police have detained an additional 1,593 leaders and activists of the Awami League during a nationwide operation as part of the ongoing crackdown orchestrated by the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, according to reports from local media on Tuesday.

Furthermore, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has apprehended 11 Awami League activists in various raids across the capital, as confirmed by Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Talebur Rahman.

Included among those arrested is Kamal Pasha Chowdhury, an online activist and blogger affiliated with the Awami League, as reported by Bangladesh's prominent Bengali daily Samakal.

All individuals detained face multiple criminal charges related to protests that occurred in July of the previous year.

Condemning the arrest of Kamal Pasha Chowdhury, Mohammad Arafat, an Awami League leader and former Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, expressed his outrage on social media, labeling the action as “unjust”.

“Kamal Pasha Chowdhury, a pro-Liberation activist and artist, has been wrongfully detained — yet another act of oppression under Yunus’s authoritarian rule. We are alarmed and indignant at the arrest of Chowdhury — a celebrated artist, General Secretary of Charu Sangshad, a key figure in the Sammilita Sangskritik Jote (a coalition of various cultural organizations), and a staunch secular, pro-Liberation advocate,” Arafat stated on X.

“He was apprehended this afternoon by the Detective Branch (DB) of the Metropolitan Police from an office in Lalmatia, Dhaka, without any clear charges. This incident marks another step in Yunus’s ongoing efforts to silence pro-Liberation voices to gain support from anti-Liberation Islamist factions,” the post continued.

The media cell of the Awami League has reported an alarming increase in “fake legal cases, mob violence, and political retribution” under the Yunus regime.

The party underscored the “collapse of the justice system” in Bangladesh, highlighting a “tsunami of false cases” since the ousting of the democratically-elected Awami League government led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

“From the absurd arrests of former ministers to falsely accusing deceased individuals in murder cases and unleashing mobs if bribes are unpaid, the judiciary has transformed into a platform for political theatrics, rather than a venue for justice,” the Awami League asserted.

Analysts perceive these developments as a major political vendetta enacted by the Yunus regime, with numerous cases launched against former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her supporters, and officials during her administration on frivolous grounds immediately after her ouster in August 2024.

The abrupt removal of Hasina last August was regarded internationally as a significant setback for democracy in the country. The interim government has also faced widespread criticism for harboring radical and extremist Islamic groups.