Dhaka, May 20 (IANS) Bangladesh’s Awami League on Wednesday expressed grave concern over the targeted attacks on its leaders, activists, and their families that have continued unabated in 2026.
The party warned that persistent silence from the international community on the issue could push the country further into brutality and prolonged political violence.
Condemning the recent incident in Ukhiya upazila of Cox’s Bazar district, where 55-year-old Syada Begum died while trying to protect her son during an alleged attack by workers of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its student wing, Chhatra Dal, the Awami League said that “horrifying tragedy” is not an isolated incident but a broader pattern of violence across the country.
“A mother, who rushed forward to protect her son from a mob of BNP and Chhatra Dal activists, ended up dead. Why? In the unyielding landscape of modern Bangladesh, the answer is as simple as it is terrifying: her thirty-two-year-old son, SM Imran, had committed the unpardonable ‘crime’ of being linked to a political slogan, ‘Joy Bangla’,” the party stated, criticising the assault.
According to the Awami League, the situation on the ground indicates that anyone connected to the Awami League is no longer safe, even if they have committed no proven wrongdoing, adding that attacks and killings are increasing at an alarming rate across several districts.
The party noted that supporters of the current BNP-led government often justify the violence, describing it as “a natural reaction to the past government”, while independent critics and political analysts warn of a highly dangerous shift in the situation.
“While Bangladesh has always had strong political rivalries, the daily hunting of low-level workers and their innocent families at this scale is completely new,” it added.
The Awami League cited human rights groups highlighting a worrying pattern of deaths inside regional prisons involving detained political figures since the political transition following the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government in 2024.
Emphasising that the state’s responsibility is to ensure the safety of all those in its custody, the party said that the deaths of detainees in prison reflect a complete collapse of accountability.
“Even worse, when arrested leaders are brought to court, large mobs are allowed to assault them right outside the courtroom perimeters. These individuals are often attacked while handcuffed, while the police escort struggles or fails to protect them. If the state cannot guarantee safety inside its own courts and prisons, the justice system itself fails,” it mentioned.
Calling on the world leaders to raise their voice against the atrocities, the Awami League said that treating such “horrific events” as a minor domestic issue would be a dangerous mistake, stressing that “human rights belong to everyone, and they do not disappear when a political party loses power”.
–IANS
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