Election Commission suspends Awami League’s registration as political party

The Election Commission (EC) has suspended Awami League’s registration after the interim government banned all activities of the party headed by deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

After a meeting on Monday evening, the EC Secretary Akhtar Ahmed confirmed the decision.

With this move, the path to elections has been shut for one of the country’s oldest political parties, which remained in power for more than two decades across six terms.

A gazette notification issued by the commission said since the government has banned all activities of the Awami League and its associate, affiliated, and like-minded organisations under the Anti-Terrorism Act, the Commission is suspending the party’s registration (No. 006, dated 03/11/2008) as a political organisation.

Under pressure from the National Citizen Party (NCP), which was formed by student leaders of the July Uprising, as well as from Jamaat-e-Islami and other religion-based parties, the Advisory Council decided on Saturday to ban all activities of the Awami League until its trial is over.

The government issued a gazette on Sunday amending the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act, paving the way to prosecute the Awami League for “crimes against humanity” in its crackdown on the July movement.

The ban order followed on Monday afternoon.

The directive said: “Until the tribunal concludes its proceedings, all forms of publications, media activity, online and social media campaigns, processions, meetings, rallies, and conferences by the Awami League and all its affiliated, allied and like-minded organisations are hereby prohibited.”

Soon after the ban order, the EC convened a meeting at 5:45pm at the Nirbachan Bhaban, or Election Building, in Dhaka’s Agargaon.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) AMM Nasir Uddin chaired the meeting where the suspension of the party’s registration was finalised.

Speaking after the meeting, EC Secretary Akhtar said: “As you know, the home ministry [on Monday] banned the activities of Bangladesh Awami League, its affiliated and associated organisations.

“Following that, the Election Commission has decided to suspend the party’s registration.

When asked on what grounds the registration was suspended, he said: “We have done this in line with the home ministry’s gazette notification.”

According to the Representation of the People Order (RPO), the registration of a banned political party can be revoked.

The EC introduced party registration rules ahead of the ninth parliamentary election in 2008.

The Awami League was registered as party number six, with the boat as its electoral symbol.

Over the past 17 years, 55 parties have been registered with the commission, though the registrations of five parties, including Jamaat-e-Islami, have been cancelled for several reasons.

With the Awami League suspended, 49 parties remain on the EC’s register.