The Bangladesh Awami League has announced a three-day program of protests beginning on Thursday with torch processions across the country, calling on “peace-loving and patriotic” citizens to join in demanding the resignation of interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus and the annulment of what it described as “illegal” verdicts from the International Crimes Tribunal-Bangladesh (ICT-BD).
The move comes amid escalating tensions following a controversial death sentence handed down to party chief and five-time prime minister Sheikh Hasina last month, which AL leaders have branded a “fictitious” act of revenge by Jamaat-e-Islami-controlled forces.
In a statement issued on Wednesday night via social media, the party outlined seven key demands, framing them as essential to restoring democracy and protecting citizens’ rights.
The programs are set against a backdrop of recent successful mobilisations by AL supporters, including a nationwide lockdown and shutdown observed last week after Sheikh Hasina was sentenced to death in absentia by the ICT-BD on November 17 for alleged crimes against humanity during the 2024 student-led uprising.
The verdict, which AL has repeatedly called a “kangaroo court” farce orchestrated by Yunus’ “illegal, occupying” regime and its Islamist allies, sparked widespread outrage among party loyalists. Hasina, now in exile in India, rejected the ruling as “politically motivated” and vowed not to appeal unless a legitimate government is formed.
The lockdown and shutdownโmarked by road blockades, rallies, and business closures in major citiesโwere described by AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader as a “resounding success,” drawing thousands despite a government ban on the party’s activities.
The Seven Demands: A Call for Justice and Reform
The AL’s statement, titled “Programs of the Bangladesh Awami League,” lists the following demands in response to the “current situation”:
– Ensuring the safety of peopleโs lives and property.
– Reducing the prices of essential commodities.
– The resignation of the โillegal, occupying, killer, fascist Dr. Yunus.โ
– Annulment of the verdict of the illegal kangaroo court against the daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Hasina, Sheikh Rehana, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, Saima Wazed Putul, and other members of the Father of the Nationโs family.
Interview With IANS: Sheikh Hasina grateful to Modi, wary of Pakistanโs growing grip
Despite being cursed, Sheikh Hasina expresses concern for ailing Khaleda Zia
UK human rights lawyers slam sentence on Sheikh Hasina, jailing of Tulip Siddiq
– Unconditional release of all political prisoners.
– Withdrawal of all false and fabricated cases filed against the Honourable Prime Minister, Deshratna Jananetri Sheikh Hasina, as well as all political activists, intellectuals, journalists, cultural activists, professionals, businesspersons, and peace-loving innocent citizens.
– Abolition of the illegal kangaroo ICT court.
– Withdrawal of the illegal ban and all obstructions imposed on the Bangladesh Awami League, and ensuring the partyโs unhindered participation in elections and all democratic programs as a steadfast force committed to establishing democracy.
The party emphasised that these demands address the “web of plots” woven by the interim government, which it accuses of weaponising the judiciary to suppress opposition ahead of the February 2026 electionsโfrom which the party remains barred.
Three-Day Action Plan: From Torches to Total Lockdown
The party detailed a structured escalation of protests to amplify its message:
– December 11 (Thursday): Torch processions across the country, symbolising a “light against fascist darkness.”
Arafat lauds BBCโs Sabir Mustafa for debunking Shapla Chattar massacre
Jamaatโs ICT-BD: Freedom Fighter Fazlur Rahman forced to tender apology
Yunus hosts Azerbaijani presidentโs daughters in money-laundering storm
– December 12 (Friday): Protest marches everywhere in the country after Jumuโah prayers, urging mosques and communities to join in solidarity.
– December 13 (Saturday): A full lockdown from morning till evening in Dhaka and nationwide, calling for businesses to shutter and roads to clear in a show of mass civil disobedience.
“This is an earnest call to all who believe in democratic ideals to make these programs successful,” the statement read, echoing the language of Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year tenure when the Awami League positioned itself as the guardian of Bangladesh’s 1971 liberation legacy.
English 
Bengali