Rajshahi police chief orders re-arrest of bailed Awami League leaders by implicating them in fresh cases.
Directive applies only to those who can strengthen or reorganise the banned party.
Order issued days after BNP-led government takes power and courts grant bails.
The police chief of Bangladesh’s northwestern Rajshahi range has directed officers to re-arrest leaders and activists of the banned Awami League who have been granted bail by courts, by implicating them in separate cases, according to newspaper reports on Wednesday.
According to PTI, Deputy Inspector General of Police Mohammad Shahjahan issued the instruction, stating: "Leaders and activists of banned or suspended fascist organisations who are being released on bail and capable of strengthening, reorganising the party and demonstrating activities at the field level, must be shown arrested in other cases after their bail."
The order, signed by Shahjahan two days earlier, applies to police units in the eight northwestern districts under his jurisdiction and describes the matter as “important”. PTI reported that copies of the directive were obtained by the widely circulated newspaper Ittefaq and several other publications.
The order includes a caveat that individuals who do not exhibit “such characteristics” do not need to be shown arrested for the time being.
When contacted by reporters, Shahjahan clarified that the directive avoided naming any specific political party or organisation. "We didn't mention any specific political parties or organisations. As they're already banned, we instructed our officials to nab or show them arrested in other cases if they try to destabilise the country again after getting bail," he said.
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The Awami League, formerly led by deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, had its activities disbanded last year by executive order under the interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus. This followed the July Uprising, a student-led protest that violently toppled Hasina’s administration on 5 August 2024.
Hasina has since been residing in India. In the aftermath, the interim authorities imprisoned thousands of Awami League leaders and workers, while many others went into hiding either within Bangladesh or overseas.
In recent days, courts nationwide have approved bail for some of these individuals. PTI reported that these releases occurred after the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, took office following this month’s election.
(With inputs from PTI)
