Awami League’s Dhaka commemoration disrupted by armed men

Efforts by the Awami League to commemorate former president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s assassination in Dhaka were disrupted on Thursday. Meanwhile, a top official stated that Bangladesh’s interim government will decide whether to seek the extradition of former premier Sheikh Hasina from India. Armed men with sticks blocked intersections and roads leading to the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Museum at 32, Dhanmondi Road. The museum had been vandalised and set on fire after Hasina fled to India on August 5. These men prevented Awami League supporters and others from gathering at the museum to mark Rahman’s death anniversary. Rahman is revered for his role in the 1971 liberation war. Reports indicate several people were beaten for approaching the area and at least 10 individuals were handed over to the police.

Awami League observes National Mourning Day on August 15. However, the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus cancelled the national holiday instituted by the previous administration. Police set up barricades near the museum, and students and activists from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) checked for Awami League supporters. Army personnel and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were deployed to enhance security.

In 1975, Mujibur Rahman was assassinated along with his wife, brother, four sons, and two daughters-in-law by army officers at his residence at 32, Dhanmondi Road. Hasina and her sister Sheikh Rehana survived as they were in Germany. On Tuesday, Hasina, now at an undisclosed location in India, issued a message through her son calling for the observance of National Mourning Day.

#Bangladesh: The Rights Question for Sheikh Hasina’s Evil Forces

Recently, individuals affiliated with the deposed dictator Sheikh Hasina faced attacks while en route to pay tribute at Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s recently burned-down residence in Dhaka. Mujib, the founding father of… pic.twitter.com/U4gkY3uhFM

— Sultan Mohammed Zakaria (@smzakaria) August 16, 2024

Bangladesh’s de facto foreign minister Touhid Hossain stated on Thursday that the interim government will decide on requesting Hasina’s extradition as cases against her, including murder accusations, increase. He mentioned that Hasina faces numerous charges and if the home and law ministries decide, they will request her return to Bangladesh. This could create a difficult situation for the Indian government, which Hossain believes India is aware of and will handle appropriately. Indian officials have not yet responded to Hossain’s comments.

Hasina and her Cabinet members have been named in two murder cases. Ataur Rahman, deputy director of the International Crimes Tribunal’s investigation cell, announced a third case against 10 individuals, including Hasina, for murder, torture, and genocide during recent protests. On Thursday, BNP’s student wing Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal held a demonstration at Central Shaheed Minar in Dhaka, demanding Hasina’s trial for her alleged role in the killing of students and citizens. Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir gathered at Shahbagh to prevent the Awami League from causing any “untoward incident”.

Additionally, sources revealed that the interim government is expected to expand with at least two new advisers on Friday. The president’s press secretary, Joynal Abedin, confirmed the swearing-in ceremony for the new members would take place at 4pm on Friday, without specifying the number of new faces. Yunus was sworn in with 16 advisers on August 8.