As the law and order situation worsens in Bangladesh, the Awami League has raised serious concerns. The party highlighted the recent brutal killings of two elderly men, Jamaluddin and Abdul Kayum, in Bangladesh on December 27. These men were not accused or convicted of any crime but were allegedly targeted due to their family connection to Mehedi Hasan, affiliated with the Bangladesh Student League, the student wing of the Awami League.
Observers noted that such incidents are not isolated but part of a pattern that includes arbitrary detentions, attacks on properties, and targeting citizens based on their political affiliations. The Awami League criticized the silence of Western governments, which it claims has emboldened perpetrators in the country.
With the upcoming February 12 elections in mind, the party emphasized the importance of upholding the rule of law and ensuring that political affiliations do not lead to fatal consequences. It stated that an election cannot be considered free when fear overrides legal norms and when being associated with a particular party can result in death sentences.
The Awami League also mourned the death of Babul Khan, the Organising Secretary of the Awami League from Kalapara Upazila. Khan passed away after falling seriously ill while in custody at Patuakhali District Jail in Bangladesh. The party accused the Yunus-led interim government of being responsible for Khan’s death due to alleged police torture.
The Awami League condemned what it described as a series of planned killings within prisons, emphasizing that being associated with the party has seemingly become a death sentence. It criticized the treatment of opposition politicians in prisons, highlighting instances of torture, denial of medical care, and mysterious deaths. The party called for accountability from the Yunus government and its police administration for the death of Babul Khan.
