Bangladesh’s ruling party, the Awami League, has accused the current interim government led by Muhammad Yunus of turning security operations into tools of repression. The party claims that instead of cracking down on extremists and protecting citizens, these actions are shielding convicted killers and militant groups.
The Awami League argues that the government’s main focus seems to be maintaining its own power, not justice or public safety. They say that in most healthy democracies, police raids and alerts are used to fight genuine threats, like terrorists or extremist networks. But in Bangladesh, over the past 11 months, these same words have been weaponized to hide the truth.
“When Yunus’s government talks about a red alert, it’s not about catching terrorists,” the party explains. “It’s about protecting them from justice. Meanwhile, the government cracks down violently on peaceful protests, opposition parties, and ordinary citizens who speak up. People protesting peacefully are called ‘threats,’ while known criminals go free. The state, which should protect its people, has instead become a threat,” they added.
The Awami League also slammed the misuse of Bangladesh’s ICT Act, once created to fight cybercrimes but now used to silence critics. Opposition leaders face false charges, witnesses are manipulated, and arrests are made more as acts of political revenge than true justice.
They say this is not the rule of law but a “rule by law,” where laws are twisted and used against the very people they should serve. The result is alarming: extremist groups that once committed gruesome massacres now operate with little fear of punishment. Meanwhile, everyday citizens risk arrest, torture, and harassment just for demanding democracy.
The party warns that Bangladesh is now under “siege.” The security forces, who should be protecting the people, now act more like enforcers of a paranoid regime. Speaking out or protesting can turn dangerous, with many facing threats to their lives.
Overall, the Awami League describes a grim situation where dissent is met with repression, and protests come with serious risks. The country’s leaders are accused of turning security measures into weapons of control, undermining the very democracy they are supposed to defend.
