End 'broad ban' on AL activities: HRW to interim govt

Rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on Bangladesh’s interim government to end its ban on the Awami League's political activities under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

In a joint letter to Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus on Sunday, the organisation claimed the ban “excessively restricts freedom of association, assembly, and expression and has been used to arrest Awami League members and perceived supporters engaged in peaceful activities”.

It also pointed to the UN’s 2025 fact-finding report on the violence during the July Uprising, saying that while it found evidence linking top party leaders to serious human rights abuses.

It also recommended the interim government should “refrain from political party bans that would undermine a return to a genuine multi-party democracy and effectively disenfranchise a large part of the Bangladeshi electorate”.

The rights organisation said that it should prevent “arbitrary arrests and detentions” and “facilitate” the dismissal or withdrawal of cases that are politically motivated or infringe on freedom of expression or other rights.

“The interim government should review and dismiss such cases lodged both before and after August 2024 regardless of political affiliation, including for members and supporters of the Awami League who have been charged or detained without credible evidence linking them to a crime,” it said.

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