Chhatra League, student organization of the Awami League party, banned in Bangladesh

The Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), a student organization of the Awami League party, led by the now-deposed Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, has been banned by the interim government of Bangladesh. This happened after the Student Anti-Discrimination Movement insistently demanded a ban.

Md Abdul Momen, Senior Secretary of the Public Security Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs, signed a notification, dated October 23, stating that the Awami League-led government, over the past 15 years, has been involved in activities that have undermined public security . This includes murders, rapes, torture, assaults in student dormitories, as well as bid rigging.

The notification also stated that there was sufficient evidence to indicate that even after the fall of the Awami League government, the student organization continued to engage in such activities.

As a result, the interim government declared a ban on the Bangladesh Chhatra League under Section 18(1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009. “The ban will come into force immediately,” the notification said.

“Bangladesh and Dhaka University are now free from stigma. We would like to thank the interim government,” said Nusrat Tabassum, student movement coordinator at Raju Sculpture, one of the country’s leading universities.

This order comes just a day after the Student Anti-Discrimination Movement put forward a five-point demand, including the abrogation of the Constitution of Bangladesh, the removal of President Shahabuddin and the banning of the Chhatra League.