The Awami League launches nationwide protests demanding the resignation of interim government Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus and rejecting the ICT’s death sentence verdict against Sheikh Hasina. The party accuses the interim regime of political conspiracy ahead of national elections.
Bangladesh’s political landscape has entered a new phase of heightened tensions as the Awami League on Tuesday announced a series of nationwide protests demanding the resignation of Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Advisor of the country’s interim government. The party also denounced the recent verdict of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), which sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death on charges of crimes against humanity.
According to the party’s statement, the demonstrations will continue until November 30, covering all districts and upazilas. The Awami League called the ICT verdict “illegal, fabricated and politically motivated,” alleging that the Yunus-led interim administration was attempting to eliminate the party from Bangladesh’s electoral process.
Awami League Rejects Tribunal Verdict Against Hasina
On November 17, the ICT delivered a highly controversial ruling, sentencing Hasina to death for alleged abuses linked to the July protests of the previous year. The tribunal also convicted two of her close aides: former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, who received a death sentence, and former Inspector General of Police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun, who, after turning state witness, was sentenced to five years in prison.
The Awami League, in its official communication to citizens, condemned the court as “so-called” and “illegally formed” under what it described as the “usurper and fascist rule” of Yunus. The statement asserted that the ICT had no constitutional legitimacy and accused it of being an instrument for political vengeance.
“You have all witnessed how the so-called court established by the illegal usurper, killer–fascist Yunus and his clique has delivered a verdict against the Honourable Prime Minister and Awami League President, the daughter of Bangabandhu, Sheikh Hasina,” the party told citizens. It added that the people had rejected the judgment “with contempt” and had already expressed their protest across the country.
The statement further noted: “With the courageous voice and support of the people, the Awami League has announced protest, demonstration and resistance marches across all districts and upazilas until 30 November, rejecting the illegal verdict of the illegal ICT tribunal and demanding the resignation of the illegal usurper, killer–fascist Yunus.”
Charges of Conspiracy Ahead of Elections
The Awami League accused the interim government of orchestrating a conspiracy to bar the party and Hasina from participating in upcoming elections. According to the statement, the verdict was part of a larger effort to “stage a mockery of a trial” through a court that the party claims was created solely for political persecution.
The leadership argued that the interim administration’s goal was to establish a political vacuum that would prevent the pro-liberation Awami League from contesting elections, thereby enabling anti-state elements to seize national institutions.
Mobilisation at the Grassroots Level
While rejecting the verdict, the Awami League emphasised that it was engaging with grassroots organisations, political allies, local leaders and citizens to counter what it describes as an “anti-state conspiracy” led by Yunus and his supporters. The party said it was working tirelessly to strengthen public resistance and ensure nationwide unity among pro-liberation groups.
“It is now clear to everyone that the Yunus clique is engaged in anti-state conspiracies. The people are ready to fight against these anti-liberation and anti-state forces. And the Awami League will lead that fight,” the statement declared.
Warning Against a ‘Staged Election’
The party also issued a strong warning that no “staged election” excluding the Awami League and Hasina would be accepted in Bangladesh. The statement said any attempt to conduct such an election would be “resisted at any cost,” adding that the public had already demonstrated their stance against political manipulation and unconstitutional institutions.
As protests gather momentum, the political environment in Bangladesh is expected to witness intensified confrontations, with the future of national elections becoming increasingly uncertain. Observers believe that the coming weeks will be critical in determining whether negotiations, public pressure or state action will shape the country’s political trajectory.
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For now, the Awami League has vowed to continue nationwide mobilisation until its central demands—Yunus’s resignation and the dismissal of the ICT verdict—are met.
