The Government Bans Chhatra League
The interim government has issued an order banning Chhatra League. Various organizations had previously issued ultimatums demanding the ban of Chhatra League, the student wing of the ruling Awami League.
The official notice was issued on Wednesday, October 23, from the Political Branch-2 of the Public Security Division under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The notification states that Chhatra League has been involved in various activities disrupting public safety, including murder, torture, abuse in dormitories, seat trading in hostels, extortion through tenders, rape, and sexual harassment. Evidence of these activities has been widely reported by the country's leading media outlets, with some criminal cases involving Chhatra League members being proven in court.
During the anti-discrimination student movement, which began on July 15, Chhatra League leaders and activists launched violent and reckless armed attacks on protesting students and the general public, killing hundreds of innocent individuals and endangering many more lives. The government claims it has substantial evidence that even after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, Chhatra League continued to engage in conspiratorial, destructive, and provocative activities against the state.
In this situation, the government, using its authority under Section 18, Sub-section (1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009, has officially declared Chhatra League, the student wing of Awami League, as a banned organization. The group has now been listed as a proscribed entity in Schedule-2 of the law.
The order specifies that this decision will take immediate effect.
Earlier, the anti-discrimination student movement from the Central Shaheed Minar had demanded a five-point charter, including the ban of Chhatra League. The movement issued an ultimatum that the ban must be implemented within the week.
During this protest, Hasnat Abdullah said, "From this Shaheed Minar, we declare our five-point demands, including the ban on Chhatra League and Awami League, the resignation of President Sahabuddin, and the annulment of the constitution."
Five-Point Demand:
- Immediate annulment of the 1972 Constitution and drafting a new one aligned with the spirit of the 2024 uprising.
- Chhatra League must be banned within this week as a terrorist organization, with a permanent ban in place.
- President Md. Sahabuddin must step down within this week.
- A new framework for post-2024 Bangladesh must be drawn up, inspired by the spirit of the July revolution and the mass uprising.
- The elections of 2014, 2018, and 2024 must be declared invalid, and the assets of those elected in these polls must be confiscated. Legal action must ensure that these individuals have no relevance or political participation in post-2024 Bangladesh.
Addressing Awami League activists, Hasnat added, “To the active members of Chhatra League, Jubo League, and the Awami Mujibites online, threats will not work. We have fought and won against the ‘Police League’ on the streets. We do not fear death. Stop dreaming of rehabilitating Sheikh Hasina; instead, prepare yourselves for justice. We will drag Sheikh Hasina back to Bangladesh. Our revolution is not over. Even though we ousted her on August 5, we have yet to establish a political settlement. For the past 16 years, we have witnessed the oppression of leaders from BNP, Jamaat, Shibir, and Chhatra Dal. Until we create a conducive environment for legitimate political organizations, our revolution will continue."
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