Despite ban, Bangladesh elections open new political space for Awami League Premium

Bangladesh's elections have reopened Awami League offices, sparking political activity despite the party's ongoing ban.

It was the morning of February 13, a day after Bangladesh’s parliamentary election delivered a landslide victory to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). The lock on the closed Chaklahat union office of the Awami League in the northern district of Panchagarh was removed. The office had remained locked for 18 months after the fall of the Awami League Government and the subsequent ban on the party’s activities.

Its reopening took place in the presence of the Panchagarh Sadar upazila BNP President, who stood beside local Awami League leaders and activists. The BNP leader, a former union parishad chairman, said he was unaware that the office had remained locked and claimed he would have opened it earlier had he known.

Similar incidents took place across Bangladesh in the days since the February 12 election. From Faridpur to Patuakhali, Khulna to Rajbari, Naogaon to Dinajpur, Kurigram to Narayanganj, Mymensingh to Shariatpur, and Noakhali, Awami League leaders and activists have reopened closed party offices, hoisted the national flag, displayed portraits of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Sheikh Hasina, and chanted “Joy Bangla”. In the capital, a group of Juba Mohila League, the women’s wing of the AL, staged a brief rally on February 20 at the main gate of Sheikh Hasina’s political office in Dhanmondi, a site that had previously been attacked multiple times.

Awami League offices have now been reopened in at least 15 districts. In most cases, leaders and activists arrived early in the morning, raised the flag, chanted slogans, and left within a short time. Several individuals have been arrested by police in connection with these incidents. Leaders of the Awami League and its affiliated bodies were also seen paying tribute at Shaheed Minar on February 21, International Mother Language Day. However, reactions to the reopening of offices have varied. In some areas, AL activists unlocked offices without obstruction; in others, they faced resistance, including BNP affiliates and anti-discrimination student movement activists who tore down banners, vandalised offices, and, in some cases, set them on fire before re-locking the premises.

Despite these local reopenings, AL and its affiliated organisations remain officially banned from political activities. Most party offices, from the central headquarters to ward-level branches, had been closed since the 2024 uprising. Some buildings were partially damaged by fire or looting, and furniture and equipment were stolen, including from the party’s central office.

Political analysts said the timing of these reopenings is significant. Under the interim government, even small gatherings of AL activists often led to immediate arrests. The current wave of activities indicates that activists believe enforcement may be less stringent under the new administration.