Dhaka [Bangladesh], November 10 : To counter the announced protests by Sheikh Hasina's Awami League, a huge number of protestors from various political parties and groups took to the streets of Dhaka on Sunday.
The protesters included leaders and workers from the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Jamaat-e-Islami, and various other political parties. They took to the streets at Saturday midnight.
"The Awami League in its current form is a fascist party. There is no way this fascist party will be allowed to hold protests in Bangladesh. Anyone who would try to hold rally, gathering and processions by taking orders from the mass murderer and dictator Sheikh Hasina will face full force of the law enforcing agencies," said Shafiqul Alam, Press Secretary to the Chief Adviser, Muhammad Yunus, in a Facebook post.
"The Interim Government won't tolerate any violence or any attempt to break the law and order situation in the country," he added.
This comes after Bangladesh Awami League on Saturday announced a program to observe the death anniversary of Nur Hossain, a slain activist killed in the movement against General Ershad in the 1990s. The party had said it would gather at the zero point, the centre of Dhaka city.
Awami League has invited everyone to participate in the program with the picture of the newly elected US President Donald Trump. Awami League believes that the Biden administration fueled the removal of Sheikh Hasina.
"On Sunday, November 10, 2024, at 3 PM (local time), a protest march will be held at the initiative of Bangladesh Awami League to demand the removal of undemocratic forces and the restoration of democratic system at Shahid Nur Hossain Square (Zero Point)," Awami League said in a statement posted on its official Facebook page.
Notably, this is the first program where Awami League has announced taking on streets Sheikh Hasina's departure from the country in August.
On August 5, a student-led movement ousted Bangladesh's Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, after weeks of protests and clashes that killed over 600 people, Hasina, 76, fled to India and an interim government led by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus was formed.
Awami League has urged all its units countrywide to observe similar programs in line with central activities. However, before the Awami League could have started the protests, its opponents have taken to the streets to counter it.
"We will confront with the Awami League ourselves in the streets first. Then we will send them to the jail," said a protester standing in the zero point of Dhaka.
The interim government has begun a trial of Sheikh Hasina and other Awami League leaders in a tribunal for 'crime against humanity.' On the other hand, Awami League says it will file 15,000 cases against the interim government including Chief Adviser, Muhammad Yunus at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for similar crimes.
The first complaint was filed against the Chief Adviser of Bangladesh interim government, Muhammad Yunus, and 61 others, under Article 15 of the Rome Statute at the ICC in Netherlands. The complaint was filed by Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury, an Awami League leader and former Mayor of Sylhet.
"From 5th to 8th August, in the name of student movement in Bangladesh, all the leaders and workers of Bangladesh Awami League and its various affiliates, Hindus, Christians, Buddhists living in Bangladesh and the police force of Bangladesh have been victims of brutal genocide and crimes against humanity," Anwaruzzaman Chowdhury said in a video message posted on Awami League's verified Facebook page.
"In this regard, we have submitted all the facts and evidence to ICC." he added.
Apart from Yunus, the 62 accused include all members of Yunus' cabinet and the student leaders of Anti-Discrimination Alliance. About 800 pages of documents have been attached to the original complaint, the video message said.
Extensive preparations are underway to file 15,000 more such complaints in the ICC very soon. The affected persons will file the complaints one by one, it said.