3 months ago
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It was the greeting of February 13, a time aft Bangladesh’s parliamentary predetermination delivered a landslide triumph to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The fastener connected the closed Chaklahat national bureau of the Awami League successful the bluish territory of Panchagarh was removed. The bureau had remained locked for 18 months aft the autumn of the Awami League Government and the consequent prohibition connected the party’s activities.
Its reopening took spot successful the beingness of the Panchagarh Sadar upazila BNP President, who stood beside section Awami League leaders and activists. The BNP leader, a erstwhile national parishad chairman, said helium was unaware that the bureau had remained locked and claimed helium would person opened it earlier had helium known.
Similar incidents took spot crossed Bangladesh successful the days since the February 12 election. From Faridpur to Patuakhali, Khulna to Rajbari, Naogaon to Dinajpur, Kurigram to Narayanganj, Mymensingh to Shariatpur, and Noakhali, Awami League leaders and activists person reopened closed enactment offices, hoisted the nationalist flag, displayed portraits of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Sheikh Hasina, and chanted “Joy Bangla”. In the capital, a radical of Juba Mohila League, the women’s helping of the AL, staged a little rally connected February 20 astatine the main gross of Sheikh Hasina’s governmental bureau successful Dhanmondi, a tract that had antecedently been attacked aggregate times.
Awami League offices person present been reopened successful astatine slightest 15 districts. In astir cases, leaders and activists arrived aboriginal successful the morning, raised the flag, chanted slogans, and near wrong a abbreviated time. Several individuals person been arrested by constabulary successful transportation with these incidents. Leaders of the Awami League and its affiliated bodies were besides seen paying tribute astatine Shaheed Minar connected February 21, International Mother Language Day. However, reactions to the reopening of offices person varied. In immoderate areas, AL activists unlocked offices without obstruction; successful others, they faced resistance, including BNP affiliates and anti-discrimination pupil question activists who tore down banners, vandalised offices, and, successful immoderate cases, acceptable them connected occurrence earlier re-locking the premises.
Despite these section reopenings, AL and its affiliated organisations stay officially banned from governmental activities. Most enactment offices, from the cardinal office to ward-level branches, had been closed since the 2024 uprising. Some buildings were partially damaged by occurrence oregon looting, and furnishings and instrumentality were stolen, including from the party’s cardinal office.
Political analysts said the timing of these reopenings is significant. Under the interim government, adjacent tiny gatherings of AL activists often led to contiguous arrests. The existent question of activities indicates that activists judge enforcement whitethorn beryllium little stringent nether the caller administration.
Dhaka-based Political expert M. Zakaria said Awami League workers were taking vantage of what helium described arsenic the BNP’s post-election confidence. “Perhaps successful immoderate places, BNP locals mightiness beryllium showing gentle gestures to the League for the clip being, but successful the agelong run, the League volition beryllium a imaginable menace to the BNP. Moreover, the ballot slope of the League that has voted for the BNP volition instrumentality to League,” helium said.
The reopening of Awami League offices has sparked crisp governmental reactions. Nahid Islam, convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP) and absorption main whip successful the caller Parliament, alleged that the incidents could not person occurred without the BNP’s “green signal.”
“Without the greenish awesome from the BNP, the AL would not person had the accidental oregon courageousness to bash this,” helium said, informing that attempts to rehabilitate the enactment would look resistance.
From exile successful India, Sheikh Hasina challenged the legitimacy of the February 12 election, describing it arsenic a “disgraceful chapter” for Bangladesh’s democracy. Her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, besides called the predetermination a “complete sham,” though helium signalled openness to dialog with BNP person Tarique Rahman. However, analysts accidental the way guardant for the Awami League remains uncertain arsenic the enactment is banned, its apical enactment is either successful exile oregon facing ineligible proceedings, and its organisational operation has been severely disrupted.
According to the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), 1,785 cases had been filed nationwide against Awami League leaders and supporters arsenic of November 19, 2025. Ms. Hasina has been named successful 663 cases, including 453 execution cases. Chargesheets person been submitted successful implicit 100 cases, and much than 120 individuals, including erstwhile Ministers and MPs, person been arrested.
AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Joint General Secretary of the Awami League, told The Hindu that galore enactment offices had been occupied oregon attacked aft August 5 and that grassroots activists are present re-emerging arsenic tensions person eased. However, helium alleged his enactment leaders are inactive being arrested and attacked portion holding programs.
“Our grassroots leaders and activists are present lasting up spontaneously and those who carried retired mob attacks are nary longer visible. As a antiauthoritarian party, we are prepared to look justness and clasp talks provided determination is simply a just and enabling environment. We anticipation the caller authorities volition assistance the prohibition imposed connected Awami League,” helium said.
However, M. Zakaria said the Awami League’s way up would beryllium difficult, arsenic it remains the BNP’s main rival. He said that though the prohibition whitethorn yet beryllium lifted aft ineligible proceedings conclude, a afloat instrumentality to mainstream authorities fto unsocial regaining powerfulness would stay a formidable challenge.
When asked however BNP volition woody with the issue, writer and expert Rezaul Karim Rony said the BNP is apt to prioritise its promised Truth and Healing Commission and ineligible accountability processes. “Allowing constricted governmental abstraction similar opening offices does not mean rehabilitation,” helium said, adding that judicial proceedings against Awami League leaders would continue.
He said the prohibition connected the Awami League is improbable to beryllium lifted immediately, arsenic judicial proceedings against its leaders, including Sheikh Hasina, are expected to continue. Even if immoderate governmental abstraction is tolerated, helium argued, a afloat normalisation of the enactment successful Bangladesh’s authorities would not beryllium easy.
