Dhaka, Nov 13 — In a fresh outbreak of political violence in Bangladesh, a mob on Thursday vandalised and set fire to the Awami League’s central office in Dhaka’s Gulistan area, according to local media reports.
Eyewitnesses told Jugantor, a leading Bengali daily, that the attack was carried out by student union workers who chanted religious slogans, including “Naraye Takbir, Allahu Akbar.” The incident occurred amid growing unrest surrounding the Awami League’s “Dhaka Lockdown Programme,” announced earlier in the day in anticipation of the Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal’s verdict in a case involving former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, expected on November 17.
Reports indicate that prior to the attack, members of Jamaat-e-Islami’s student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, had assembled near the Awami League headquarters to protest the lockdown call. The demonstration soon escalated into violence, leaving the area tense and prompting a heavy police deployment.
In a strongly worded statement, the Awami League condemned the violence and blamed the Muhammad Yunus-led interim government for failing to maintain law and order. “This is the so-called democratic reform preached by Yunus and his cronies — where the country’s largest political party faces constant attacks,” the statement read.
The party further accused the interim regime of suppressing dissent and violating human rights. “The illegal, fascist regime of Yunus and his cohorts has deprived the Awami League of its democratic rights while persecuting its leaders and workers through false cases,” it said.
Labeling the current administration an “illegitimate occupying force,” the Awami League vowed to continue its political struggle, asserting that the massive public response to the “Dhaka Lockdown Programme” had already unnerved the interim authorities. Security forces have since tightened surveillance across Dhaka to prevent further violence.
