300 expatriate Bangladeshi students, researchers and professionals have written a letter to Chief Advisor Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus, demanding an urgent ban on the activities of the Awami League in Bangladesh over serious allegations of human rights violations.
They sent this letter to the Chief Advisor's Press Secretary's e-mail on Thursday (February 13). The letter says, "We have got a new Bangladesh through the bloody mass uprising of the students and the masses from the oppression, torture and misrule of the past 16 years. But we are observing with great sadness that the fascist forces that killed thousands of students and the masses are still continuing their conspiracy against Bangladesh."
Al Jazeera reported, citing sources from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, that law enforcement forces, acting under direct political orders, attacked peaceful protesters, killing at least 834 people and injuring more than 20,000, including women and children. Two international human rights organizations, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have found evidence that the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina used force unlawfully and unnecessarily to suppress the protests.
Citing the latest UN investigation report, the letter said, "We have learned that 1,400 people were killed in the July-August Revolution directly under the orders of Sheikh Hasina. A significant number of them were children. The report highlights how children were targeted for killing. Countless people were injured. RAB and police have arrested more than 11,700 people."
The letter further states that not only the July massacre, the Bangladesh Awami League has carried out brutal killings in Bangladesh for the past 16 years. The Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK) has said that more than 2,000 extrajudicial killings have taken place during the Awami League's rule between 2013 and 2024. The report of the Disappearance Commission has revealed how a small child was held hostage and the mother was not allowed to breastfeed. 700-800 mirror houses were built across the country and countless people were brutally tortured by being kept in solitary confinement for years. An investigative report by the New York Times has revealed that Sheikh Hasina and top government officials have carried out state disappearances in which thousands of people have been victims (Hasnat and Mashal, 2024).
Referring to the mirror house created by the Awami League government, the letter stated, "After the report of the Commission on Disappearances, the report of the UN Human Rights Commission and the recent opening of the mirror house under your leadership, we have seen the horrific picture of human rights violations, disappearances and killings. After that, the activities of the fascist Awami League as a political party cannot continue in Bangladesh. We demand the immediate banning of the Awami League for the murder, disappearance and human rights violations of thousands of students and the public. It is not possible to implement the desire for a mass uprising unless the fascist party is banned."
The letter cited examples from other countries around the world and said, "You may know that recently, after the overthrow of the dictatorial Assad government in Syria, Assad's Baath Party was banned on similar charges. The level of oppression by Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League was even more terrible than Assad, whom you compared to the 'days of ignorance'. We also have the example of banning the fascist Nazi Party. There is no history of allowing a fascist party to participate in politics after a revolution anywhere in the world."
The letter further states, "Not only the disappearances and murders, the Awami League has destroyed Bangladesh's electoral system and democracy. It has destroyed democratic institutions. These disappearances, murders and oppression are considered serious crimes under international human rights law and at the same time are clear violations of the promise of justice and democracy in the Constitution of Bangladesh. The Awami League has lost its legitimacy as a political entity through their planned persecution, genocide and crimes against humanity. If the party's political activities are not banned immediately, their leadership, accused of crimes against humanity, who are not at all remorseful for their heinous crimes, will regroup to take away democracy and human rights in Bangladesh. We fear that if a terrorist-fascist party like the Awami League regroups, many more disappearances, murders and massacres will take place. Moreover, the unstable environment that the Awami League is trying to create in the country will pose a serious risk of disrupting the reform programs undertaken by your government and your efforts to restore democratic rule."
Bangladeshi expatriate students, researchers and professionals have demanded the immediate legal ban of the Bangladesh Awami League and the prosecution of those responsible for all crimes against humanity committed during the party's rule, saying, "We strongly demand that justice be ensured for those accused of the July 2024 genocide and other human rights violations through a fair, transparent and independent judicial process. We commend your leadership at this critical juncture and expect your government to take decisive action to protect democracy, uphold human rights and prevent political violence in Bangladesh."
The signatories of the letter are - Dr. Shibbir Ahmed, Dr. Mohammad Tariq, Dr. Maruf Mallick, Dr. Rashedul Islam, Dr. Faizul Kabir, Dr. Md. Khaled Hossain, Dr. Abu Yusuf, Dr. Emran Hossain, Md. Fahim Sharkar Ishat, Md. Ali Azam, Abdullah Al Zayem, Md. Rezaul Haque, Md. Rabiul Islam, Muntasir Mahdi, Fabiha Tasnim Arni, Musunna Ghalib, Zakir Hossain, Sheikh Tashrif Uddin, Sajid Kamal, Mohammad S Ali, NHM Arafat, Md. Mahbubur Rahman Shakil, Md. Nurul Haque, Dilshana Parul, Marzia Mithila, M S Ali, Zulfikar Ali, Muna Hafsa, Shafayet Ahmed, Sheikh Md. Sajedul Karim, Mohammad Islamul Haque, Kamal Chowdhury, Russell Mohammad, Nabid Mohammad Siam, Nasrul Islam Sohan, Sayema Sharmin, Abdur Sami, Mohammad Munasir Mamun Chowdhury, Ayesha Parvin, Sheikh Md. Borhan, Md. Ashraf, Humaira Binte Ashek, Mujtahidul, Khaleda Akhter, Shayla Afrin, Muhammad Saleh Abdullah, Mahfuza, Farhad Hossain, M Mia, Abu Taib Ahmed, Abu Zakaria, Md. Nazmul Karim Farooqui, Ahmed Musa, MN Uddin, Subail Bin Alam, Shakib Mustafi, Afsana Ahmed, M H Mahmud, Md. Muktadir Bhuiyan, Md. Rakibul Hasan, Md. Sarkar, Sajjad Hasan, Rahnuma Siddika, Md. Abu Zahid, Nessar Ali Titumir, Abdul Muhaimin, Md. Kamrul Hasan, Abu Yusuf, Hossain Ahmed, Tanima Ananna, Saif Ibne Sarwar, Anamul Haque Anam, Mezbah Hossain, Ishtiaq Aqib, Zjaman Asad, Md. Suzan Al Hasan, Enamul Haque, Md. Mamunur Rashid, Sultan Mohammad Zakaria, Emran Gazi, Samina I. Hossain, Md. Abu Bakr Siddique, Muhammad Tanbirul Islam, Muhammad Mustafiz, Abdullah Naeem, Aminur Rahman, Ahasanul Karim, Md. Saif Uddin, Shahin Siddique, Habibur Rahman Talukder, Lt. Mahbubul Haque Hasan (retired), Khandaker Sabit Bin Mahmud, Mahima Karim, Faiz Ahmed, Syed Shahriar Hasan, Islam Md. Mominul, Md. Rashadul Hasan, Apu Sarwar, Naeem Al Tarek, Aminur Rahman, Kausar Ahmed, Ariful Haque, Md. Monirul Islam, Tarek Aziz, Abu Mujahid, Tanzilur Rahman, Iqbal Mahmud, Mir Mohammad Fahad, Adib Ahmed, Md. Nurul Haque, Hasan Ahmed, Hossain Idris, Mia Mohammad Raihan, Nazmul, Md. Imam Hossain, Abdul Ahad Meraj, Md. Tarek Chowdhury, Suborna Alam, Abu Saleh Musa Mia, Sabbir Muhammad Saleh, Md. Abu Rafsan, Touhidur Rahman, Sabuj Ahmed, Kabir Islam, Md. Islam, Maruf Billah, Md. Sajidul Islam, Sharafat Sarkar, Md. Nurul Islam, Md. Arafat, Md. Munirul Hasan, Muhammad Anwar Hossain, Farhana Jasmine Jolly, Md. Mohsin Patwari, Nur Alam, Md. Sajjadul Islam Sajal, Md. Abdus Salam, Sohad Ahmed, Mohammad Sajidul Islam, Sajaul Morshed Sajib, Nabil Morshed, Joynal Abedin, Newaz Sharif, Afsana, Salah Khan, Masum, Sumaiya Anjum Kashfi, Abu Hasnat, Nazmul Alam, Muhammad S. Alam, Masud Alam, Md. Sajedur Hossain, Md. Mahiuddin Sarkar, Md. Mahbubur Rahman, Md. Abdus Samad Chowdhury, Md. Mostafizur Rahman Bhuiyan, Nazrul Islam, Mia Imtiaz Zulkarnain, Md. Tahsin Hasan, Md. Mamunur Rashid, Mohammad Imran Hossain (Ansari), Fahmida Rifat, Md. Mahadi Hasan, Rafiqul Islam, Abu Chowdhury, Yunus bin Abdun Noor, Borhan Uddin, Syedul Akbar Murad, Sumaiya Tasnim, Mohammad Al Mahfuz, Md. Ataur Rahman, Abdur Rahim, Nowshin Mahmud, Sheikh Robin, Sajjad Ahmed, Mohammad Zayed bin Islam, S. Farid, Shamsul Arefin, Md. Wabidur Rahman, Mahmudul Hasan, Mahmudul Hasan, Mir Sabbir Hasan, Md. Abul Kalam Azad, Anisur Rahman, Md. Abedur Rahman, Anjum Islam, Mohammad Asif Nawaz, Ashiqur Rahman Shakib, Md. Taufiqul Islam, Anjuman Ara, Ashiq, Abdul Aziz, Mohammad Al-Amin, Mohammad Al-Amin, Md. Obaidullah, Nasir Uddin, Sujan Mia, Shakib Al Jaber, Abu Bakr Siddique, Syed Ahmed, Shah, SM Jasim Uddin, Shahriar Azgar, Bilal, Nahid, Miraj Hossain, Nur, Ahil Ahmed, Farzana Chowdhury, Dr. Abdul Awal, Md. Sakhawat Hossain, Kamrul Hasan Manik, Sabbir Mahmud, Kayes, Chaman Mahmud, Shohanur Rahman, Md. Abu Rumman Rifat, Mehedi Munna, Akhtarul Islam, Merajul Islam Oni, Badr Ali, Iqbal Hossain, Md. Mamunur Rashid, Mohammad Sabuj Sikder, Muhammad Naimur Rahman, Zahid Islam, Dr. Ahasanul Karim, Zulfikar Islam, Shamim Hossain, Md. Imran Hossain, Raju Ahmed, Dr. Azad Rahman, Khairul Anam Imtiaz, Saifullah Omar Nasif, Khairul, Imran Hossain Tanvir, Delwar Hossain, Mohammad Fayez Ullah, Hamed Mohammad Hobaib, Khadija Binte Islam Shefa, Jasim Uddin, Shamim Kabir, Fuad Al Abir, Nasir Hossain, Rafiqul Hasan Rafi, Shamsul Haque Khan, Md. Ishfaqur Rahman, Mashiur Rahman, Siam Ahmad, Tasmi-ul-Hasan, Md. Monir, Imdadur Rahman Fahim, Mahfuz Islam, Toder Azrail, Tauhid Islam, Minhajus Siraj, Saiful Islam, Md. Fuad Hossain, Md. Sadin Pramanik, Serat Saad, Shahidul Islam, Md. Nasim Uddin, Kamrul Hasan, Kabir Hossain, Kawsar Ahmed, Md. Riyad Hossain, Md. Ibrahim Hossain, Didarul Islam Shuvo, Muhammad Al Mahdi, Md. Ashiq Bhuiyan, Mozamel Hossain, Dr. Subrata Dutta, Md. Nuruzzaman, M. A. Mizan, Md. Noor, Rakin, Al Amin, Md. Anayet Ullah, Humayun Hamid, Md. Rajib, Md. Anwar Hossain, Mohammad Sayedul Mustafa, Md. Saiful Islam, Md. Jifan Hossain, Md. Mozahidul Islam, Mohammad Ahsan Nazmul, Md. Firoz Hasnat, Mohammad Ahsan Nazmul, Abrar Mohsin Samin, Mohammad Sohel Uddin, Abu Ayisha, Fatema Tuz Zuhra, Rafsan Parvez Rano, Shoaib Mahmud, Gazi Kawsar Ahmed, Ahmed Israfil, Samia Haque, Ashiqur Rahman.
