The Awami League, the party of Bangladesh’s ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has announced nationwide agitations and “resistance marches” until November 30, in response to the death sentence handed to the former premier by what it calls an “illegal” tribunal.

On November 17, the International Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh (ICT-BD) sentenced the 78-year-old former leader to death—along with former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal—after a trial conducted in absentia on charges of committing “crimes against humanity.” Hasina is currently in India, while Kamal is also believed to be in hiding in the country.

In a statement shared on its official social media platforms, the Awami League termed the verdict a political “conspiracy” orchestrated by the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government to bar the party and Hasina from contesting the upcoming general elections scheduled for February next year.

Rejecting the judgment as the “illegal verdict of an illegal ICT tribunal,” the party demanded the resignation of Yunus and announced district- and upazila-level demonstrations until the end of the month.

Party Calls trial a “mockery of justice”

The Awami League described the tribunal’s ruling as “farcical” and asserted that it had been “rejected with contempt” by the people of Bangladesh. The party accused the tribunal of conducting a “mockery of a trial,” claiming the proceedings lacked transparency and fairness.

The leadership said that grassroots organisers, political allies, and civil society supporters were being mobilised to resist what it labelled “anti-state conspiracies”, vowing to prevent “any attempt to exclude pro-liberation forces” from the electoral process.

“A staged election will not be allowed in Bangladesh. It will be resisted at any cost,” the party declared, adding that a “tough nationwide movement” would be announced soon.

Background: The fall of Hasina’s government

Hasina’s government was ousted on August 5 last year, following a massive student-led demonstration known as the “July Uprising.”

Three days later, Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus returned from Paris at the request of protesting students and assumed the role of Chief Adviser of the interim government.

The ousted leader and several aides were accused of using extreme force to suppress the uprising. A UN human rights office report later estimated that around 1,400 people were killed between July 15 and August 15 during the unrest.

With the February general elections approaching, Bangladesh faces a period of heightened political tensions. The Awami League’s call for widespread protests is expected to intensify the standoff between the party and the interim administration, setting the stage for further turbulence in the coming weeks.

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