Banned Bangladesh party turns to flash protests ahead of polls

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DHAKA: Once the Bangladesh’s largest political party, the Awami League, has been declared illegal since its leader, Sheikh Hasina was abolished in a massive uprising last year.

Now, its supporters – Hasina’s social media calls for “resistance” through calls – in violation of the ban, the flash is protesting the mob as the country prepares for the elections, which is banned by the party.

In Capita, El Dhaka, 45 -year -old cleaner Mohammad Kashmir, was chased, beaten up, and detained by the police at a rally at a rally.

“This is happening all over Dhaka,” Kashim told AFP, saying videos of such unprecedented demonstrations appear permanently on social media.

“We see it on Facebook every day.”

The expected elections in February 2026 will be the first after fleeing to India in exile when the mob attacked his palace, and ended his 15 -year rule.

He then denied judicial orders to attend his ongoing case on charges of crimes against humanity for allegedly ordering a deadly crackdown during the uprising.

After that, his party and his supporters have been pushed underground.

More than 800 people have been arrested in connection with the flash crowd, officials say, who has been shaking the interim government of Nobel Laureate Mohammad Younus when he oversees 170 million until the South Asian nation’s supervision.

‘Abandoned’

Still, they protest. Some rallies include only a handful of young men. Other slogans draw more than 100.

“Sheikh Hasina is coming!” They scream, waving small play cards or doing outdated banners. “Bangladesh smiling!”

They gather for a few minutes before the crowd is erased.

Sometimes, more than one flash protests occur simultaneously in different parts of Dhaka. One day police arrested 244 people.

The risks are high. At the rally, Kashmir saw, several protesters were badly beaten.

“Stupid boy,” Kashim said. “Heavyweight leaders abandoned them … yet they are risking their lives.”

The protests have made the Younus’ government baseless.

Yunus’s press secretary, Shafi, told reporters last month, “Fascists have become careless, because they can see that the country is going towards an election and the trial process (Hussein) is growing rapidly.”

“The government has decided to strengthen the monitoring of flash processions and other illegal gatherings.”

Hussein raises his voice on social media, releases a broad side against Yunus and urges loyalists to “resist”.

Bangladeshi newspapers have reported at least 20 flash processions in the past month, citing a senior party leader in hiding.

Dhaka police spokesman MD Talur Rehman could not confirm the number of protests, but said “more than 800 people” have been arrested in connection with them.

Political analysts Zahid and Rehman, a member of the government’s electoral reforms commission, said Hussein was jeopardizing the safety of protesters to maintain compatibility.

Zaid told AFP, “She is trying to gain sympathy by sharing her party members, chasing, dispersing and arresting arrests.”

‘Proper action’

Human Rights Watch has condemned the “Darkonian” ban on the Awami League.

“The interim government should not be included in the same discriminatory practices that Bangladeshis had to tolerate under Sheikh Hasina, whether it was filling prisons with political opponents or shutting down peaceful differences,” said HRW’s Manakshi Ganguly.

But analysts say protests can complicate election preparations.

Inspector General of Police Biharol Alam said the “different interest groups” are trying to remove the elections, including the “defeated axis”.

In the absence, the chief prosecutor of the Hussein trial, Taj al -Islam, said that a judicial inquiry was underway in the Awami League.

Islam said, “Once an investigative report is ready, proper action will be taken.”

The Awami League is notorious.

Senior leader Khalid Mehmood Chaudhry, whose current hideouts are unclear, insists that protesters are going to the streets with “love” for Hussein.

He told AFP that he was in trouble.

“Have you seen how these activities have robbed the sleeping government?”