Bangladesh on High Alert Before Awami League’s Founding Day

Home minister Salahuddin Ahmed said spy agencies had warned of possible trouble around the Awami League’s anniversary this week.

Nationwide Alert Issued Before Party’s Founding Day

Bangladesh has reportedly issued a countrywide security alert ahead of the founding anniversary of the Awami League the party once headed by former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. Authorities fear her supporters may attempt protests across the nation.

The alert arrives just before June 23 — the day the Awami League was formed. The interim government, led by Muhammad Yunus, disbanded the party after Hasina’s administration fell on August 5, 2024. That collapse followed weeks of student-driven protests, widely called the July Uprising.

Home minister Salahuddin Ahmed addressed reporters at a press briefing on Saturday. He said intelligence units had flagged chances of disturbances around the anniversary date.

“We have intelligence information that Awami League may try to create unrest and instability in the country surrounding June 23,” news agency ANI quoted Ahmed as saying.

Law enforcement teams have reportedly been told to stay maximally alert in coming days and to take every step needed to stop sabotage, unrest, or disruptions to public order.

The minister added that officials were tracking the situation closely. He also said the present government no longer treats the Awami League as a political party calling it instead a “mafia organisation.”

Police Brace for Clashes Over Anniversary Events

Police headquarters reportedly sent an internal message to field units on Friday. It warned that Awami League leaders and workers might mark the day by raising party flags at local offices and holding marches with banners.

ANI’s report citing this communication noted such activity could trigger confrontations with rival political groups. Activists from the student-led National Citizen Party were specifically named as a flashpoint.

Police officials warned that such clashes could worsen law-and-order conditions across various regions of the country.

Still, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police stated there was no specific threat right now — though officers remain on high alert regardless.

No Word Yet From Awami League Itself

The Awami League hasn’t released any public statement about anniversary plans through its official online channels.

Established in 1949, the Awami League is Bangladesh’s oldest political party. It played a central role during the country’s 1971 Liberation War against Pakistan.

Bangladesh’s political scene has transformed sharply since Hasina lost power. The interim government barred the Awami League from contesting February’s elections. Those polls brought the Bangladesh Nationalist Party into power with Tarique Rahman sworn in as the country’s prime minister.