Two detained after banned Awami League wing holds rally in Shariatpur

SHARIATPUR — Police have detained two individuals following an unauthorized procession and rally led by a central leader of the outlawed Swechchhasebak League in Shariatpur. The event, held Thursday evening at Ganganagar Bazar, saw approximately 500 supporters of the banned Awami League gather to mark the August 15 National Mourning Day.

Mithun Dhali, joint general secretary of the Swechchhasebak League’s Dhaka North Metropolitan Committee, spearheaded the demonstration. Dhali, a resident of the Ganganagar area in Shariatpur Sadar Upazila, was captured in multiple videos circulated on social media leading chants in support of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Participants in the march carried national and party flags.

The procession concluded with a brief rally on the Ganganagar-Kazirhat road, where Dhali delivered a speech. Participants displayed banners featuring images of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Sheikh Hasina, and several former Awami League officials, including former lawmaker Iqbal Hossain, former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and party joint general secretary Bahauddin Nasim.

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The demonstration marks another instance of clandestine activity by Awami League and its affiliate organizations, which have remained largely in hiding since the fall of the government on August 5, 2024. While the government has formally banned these organizations, supporters have occasionally engaged in brief, disruptive acts of defiance across the district, often leading to subsequent police cases against identified participants.

Shah Alam, officer-in-charge of Palang Model Police Station, confirmed that law enforcement responded immediately upon receiving reports of the gathering. “Upon arriving at the scene, we encountered the procession. Many participants fled, but we successfully detained two individuals,” Alam said. Authorities are currently preparing formal legal proceedings against those arrested.