Awami League calls for nationwide strike, Yunus government refuses to relent

After a lengthy pause of six months following the fall of the government, Bangladesh‍‍`s Awami League has announced plans for a major strike and blockade this February.

The party shared the details of their protest plans on its official Facebook page, declaring that they will hold a nationwide strike on February 16 and 18.

These protests are in response to the resignation of the interim government under Muhammad Yunus and to voice opposition against what they claim is a pattern of "misrule and oppression."

The Awami League, led by Sheikh Hasina, has also scheduled several other activities for February. These include:

Distributing leaflets from Saturday, February 1, to Wednesday, February 5.
Organizing protest marches and rallies on Thursday, February 6.
Holding marches and protests on Monday, February 10.
A nationwide blockade on Sunday, February 16.
A countrywide general strike on Tuesday, February 18.

The party has made it clear that if their protests face any kind of obstruction, they will announce even stronger actions.

In response to these developments, the interim government has issued a stern warning.

Shafiqul Alam, the press secretary of Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus, released a statement making it clear that the full power of the law would be applied to any activities organized by the Awami League.

He emphasized,

"Unless the Awami League apologizes for the casualties during the July uprising and until justice is served, and as long as the Awami League does not distance itself from its current leadership and fascist mindset, no such program will be allowed to take place."

The Awami League government fell on August 5, following a public uprising led by students.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina then sought refuge in India.

Since then, the Awami League had not been able to organize any major events on the ground, and this marks the first large-scale program announced by the party in the past six months.