Writ filed seeking directions to stop activities of 11 political parties including Awami League
"There is no mention in the petitions of banning the party or prohibiting its registration," wrote Hasnat on his Facebook
Hasnat Abdullah and Sarjis Alam, coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, have filed two writ petitions with the High Court.
One of the writs filed by three people including Abul Hasnat and Sarjis Alam, leaders of the anti-discrimination student movement, sought instructions to suspend all activities of 11 political parties, including Awami League.
The other 10 political parties are Jatiya Party (Ershad), Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, Alternative Bangladesh, Tariqat Federation, Communist Party of Bangladesh, LDP, Jatiya Party (Manju), Demokrati Dal, Marxist-Lelinist (Barua) and Socialist Party of Bangladesh.
Law secretary, Home secretary, Election Commission and inspector general of police have been made respondents to the writ.
The writ also sought cancellation of the last three elections of the Awami League and asked why the benefits obtained illegally should not be returned, wrote Hasnat on his Facebook page.
According to the writ, besides banning all kinds of political activities of the 11 parties, the writ also sought a ruling on why the parties should not be banned from participating in all kinds of elections in the future.
The second petition seeks to know why they should not be barred from all political activities until a verdict is reached in the first case.
"There is no mention of banning the party or prohibiting its registration in the petitions," Hasnat clarified.
They filed the petition this morning (28 October), confirmed Senior Lawyer Advocate Ahsanul Karim.
A hearing on the petitions will be held in a High Court division bench later this week.
This latest petition follows a prior application filed in August, which called for a full ban on the AL but it was subsequently rejected by a High Court dual bench headed by Justice AKM Asaduzzaman on 1 September.
On 23 October, the interim government imposed a ban on AL's student wing, the Bangladesh Chhatra League, citing provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Formed on 23 June 1949, the Awami League has been facing mounting challenges after its President and former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left the country following a student-led uprising on 5 August.
The 2014 election was held on 5 January. With most of the opposition boycotting the election, 153 of the 300 members of the parliament (MPs) were uncontested.
Awami League won the election with 234 seats as the Jatiya Party secured 34 and became the opposition.
The 2018 Bangladesh election on 30 December was hardly criticised for vote rigging.
BNP boycotted the election with vote rigging allegations as its partymen secured seven seats; Awami League won 257 and Jatiya Party 26.
Before the most recent election held on 7 January 2024, the BNP demanded that the government hand over power to a neutral caretaker government. It was rejected by Sheikh Hasina, who vowed, "Bangladesh will never allow an unelected government again."
In yet another election boycotted by BNP, Awami League won 224 seats and Jatiya Party 11. Independent candidates, most of whom were AL members, won 62 seats.