Awami League now to lose registration, become disqualified for parliamentary elections

The Awami League (AL) is set to lose its registration with the Election Commission (EC) and will be disqualified from contesting the upcoming national elections, as it is officially set to be banned on Monday, May 12. This decision will render the party ineligible for participation in parliamentary elections in accordance with electoral laws.

The Election Commission will cancel AL‍‍`s registration as a parliamentary party under Section 90H (1) (b) of the Representation of the People Order (RPO) 1972. Furthermore, as per Section 90C (1) (3) of the RPO, the EC will not register the Awami League again once it is officially banned by the government.

The interim government took this step following an emergency Advisory Council meeting held on May 10. The meeting concluded with a decision to ban the Awami League under the anti-terror laws. An official order for the ban will be issued on May 12. Law Adviser Asif Nazrul confirmed that the party‍‍`s activities, both on the ground and online, will be prohibited under the Anti-Terrorism Act until the trial of the Awami League and its leaders is completed at the International Crimes Tribunal.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin, addressing reporters on May 11, stated that the EC is waiting for the gazette notification regarding the ban before making a decision on AL‍‍`s registration. Once the gazette is published, the EC will discuss and decide on the matter in line with the current political climate in Bangladesh.

In a related development, the interim government also approved an amendment to the International Crimes Tribunal Act, which will now allow the tribunal to punish any political party, its affiliated organizations, or supporter groups.

This decision follows growing public protests demanding the ban of the Awami League, especially from the National Citizen Party (NCP), which began on May 8 in Dhaka and culminated in the government‍‍`s action on May 10.

The Awami League, often referred to as the largest political party in Bangladesh, had been in turmoil since the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5. Hasina, who fled to India, had been at the center of the student-led July Uprising, initially sparked by demands to end the government’s quota system in public sector jobs. The movement evolved into a broader protest against Hasina‍‍`s administration following accusations of violence against protesters.

The growing calls to ban the Awami League intensified after the departure of ex-President Abdul Hamid and the continued protests led by the National Citizen Party and other political groups, which eventually led to the interim government’s decision to proceed with the ban on May 10.