In a bold display of defiance against the interim government’s ban on the Bangladesh Awami League (AL) and its affiliates, supporters of the partyโincluding leaders and activists from the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and Jubo Leagueโhave intensified grassroots mobilisation across the country.
Human chains, protests, and the symbolic reopening of long-shuttered party offices have emerged as key tactics amid growing public and partisan demands to unban the Awami League ahead of or following the recent elections.
In Savar, on the Dhaka highway, dozens of Chhatra League and Jubo League activists formed a human chain on Friday to demand the immediate release of former MP and prominent lawyer Barrister Syed Sayedul Haque Suman.
Led by local former Chhatra League leader Shafiqul Islam, participants chanted slogans calling for Sumon’s freedom and a fair, expeditious legal process. Placards accused authorities of politically motivated detention, urging the withdrawal of what they described as fabricated charges tied to incidents during the 2024 quota reform and anti-discrimination protests.
Barrister Suman, a former independent lawmaker from Habiganj-4 and a vocal social media figure, has been imprisoned since December 2024 on multiple cases, including two attempted murders and one murder. Courts have repeatedly denied bail, sending him to jail after remand in the cases. Investigators tortured him during remand, and he has been denied proper medical care in prison, his family members and supporters alleged.
Supporters insist the charges are vengeful reprisals against Awami League-aligned figures, demanding a transparent investigation free from political bias.
The Savar human chain briefly slowed traffic on the busy highway but remained peaceful under police watch, with no reported clashes. Organisers emphasised calls for justice, stating that Barrister Suman’s prolonged detention exemplifies broader repression against opposition voices.
This localised action mirrors a swelling nationwide wave of similar programs. In recent days, Awami League officesโsealed for over 18 months under the interim administration’s banโhave been dramatically reopened in at least 25 districts, including Chattogram North, Noakhali, Satkhira, Barguna, Patuakhali’s Dashmina Upazila, and others. Activists from the banned Chhatra League and Jubo League have broken locks, hoisted national and party flags, installed portraits of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Sheikh Hasina, and cleaned premises while chanting slogans.
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Reports indicate these reopenings follow direct instructions from exiled leader Sheikh Hasina, who reportedly urged supporters via personal messages to revive party structures. In several locations, national flags flew alongside AL banners for the first time since the May 2025 ban imposed under the Anti-Terrorism Act, which suspended the party’s activities and deregistered it with the Election Commission amid accusations of orchestrating violence during the 2024 protests.
The moves come against a backdrop of persistent calls to lift the Awami League ban, viewed by critics as an undemocratic suppression that undermines inclusive politics. Analysts note that while the party was barred from the February 2026 electionsโwon decisively by the BNPโgrassroots revival efforts signal resilience and a push for rehabilitation, property restoration, and release of detained leaders.
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Human chains and office reopenings have sparked mixed reactions: supporters hail them as legitimate expressions of political freedom, while opponents and some ruling quarters warn of potential instability or violations of the ban. Administrative responses remain limited, with no immediate crackdowns reported in most cases, though tensions simmer amid ongoing debates over political inclusivity in post-uprising Bangladesh.
As these activities gain momentum, they highlight deepening divisions: one side demanding accountability for past alleged abuses, the other insisting on democratic space for all major parties. The coming weeks may test the new government’s resolve in balancing order with pluralism.
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