Bangladesh’s political crisis deepened on Tuesday as the Awami League launched a nationwide agitation rejecting the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) verdict that sentenced ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death. The party demanded the immediate resignation of Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, denouncing him as an “illegal usurper” and a “killer-fascist,” and announced continuous protests, demonstrations, and resistance marches across all districts until November 30.
In a strongly worded statement issued on X, the Awami League declared the tribunal’s verdict “illegal,” asserting that the court itself was established by an “unconstitutional and occupying regime.” The statement stressed that the people of Bangladesh had already “rejected this farcical judgment with contempt,” expressing gratitude to supporters who protested soon after the death sentence was announced. Hasina, along with former home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, was tried in absentia and is believed to be in India.
The party accused Yunus and his associates of orchestrating a wider conspiracy to bar Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League from contesting the upcoming elections. It claimed the tribunal was merely a tool created to facilitate “a mockery of justice” and push pro-liberation forces out of Bangladesh’s political landscape. According to the statement, Yunus and his “clique” are engaged in anti-state conspiracies, and the Awami League intends to lead a mass resistance movement to counter what it calls an occupation by anti-liberation forces.
Reiterating its resolve, the Awami League said it was holding discussions with grassroots workers, political leaders, and civil society representatives to mobilise nationwide opposition. It warned that a “staged election” excluding the party and its leader would not be allowed under any circumstances, signalling the possibility of a more aggressive movement in the coming days.
While the political temperature rises, the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus has taken formal diplomatic steps, including sending an official request to the Indian government for the extradition of Sheikh Hasina following her death sentence by the ICT.
