DHAKA: Bangladesh’s Election Commission has suspended the registration of ousted former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League, effectively barring the party from contesting the next national elections.
The move comes after the interim government of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus banned all activities of the Awami League under the Anti-Terrorism Act after days of protests.
The government cited national security threats and a war crimes investigation underway against the party’s top leadership over the deaths of hundreds of protesters.
“With the home ministry’s ban on all activities of the Awami League and its affiliated organisations, the Election Commission has decided to suspend the party’s registration,” Election Commission Secretary Akhtar Ahmed told reporters late on Monday (May 12).
Under Bangladesh’s electoral laws, a political party must be registered with the Election Commission to participate in national polls. The suspension means the Awami League – which led the country for more than 20 years – is now officially disqualified from contesting future elections unless the ban is lifted and the registration restored.
The Election Commission also prohibited the party and its affiliates from conducting any political activities, including publications, media appearances, online and social media campaigns, processions, rallies, or conferences, until the International Crimes Tribunal completes its proceedings.
Hasina, credited with turning around the economy but accused of human rights violations and the suppression of dissent, won a fourth straight term in 2024, but the poll was boycotted by the main opposition, whose top leaders were in jail or in exile.
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