Daijiworld Media Network- Dhaka
Dhaka, Jun 10: In a strongly worded statement, Bangladesh’s ruling Awami League has condemned what it describes as a string of targeted killings of its party activists inside various prisons across the country. The party has squarely blamed the interim administration led by economist-turned-political figure Muhammad Yunus, alleging a sinister campaign designed to intimidate, weaken, and silence the Awami League’s grassroots presence.
According to details shared at a press briefing in Dhaka, the party claims that at least 21 activists have died in custody since Yunus assumed administrative control, with evidence pointing towards methods such as deliberate medical negligence, forced poisonings, chemical-induced cardiac arrests, physical torture, and solitary confinement, all carried out under the guise of standard prison protocol.
The Awami League has dubbed the alleged covert operation as part of the “Yunus Doctrine”, a term the party uses to describe what it claims is a calculated, state-sponsored purge of political opposition. Describing the killings as "deliberate and methodical," the party said the campaign seeks to dismantle the ideological and organizational backbone of the Awami League—long regarded as the flagbearer of Bangladesh’s liberation movement.
The recent jail execution of party leader Ali Azgar has particularly shaken the party. Calling the incident "state murder," the Awami League claims it underscores the brutality of the new regime, allegedly functioning with impunity and outside the ambit of established law and human rights norms.
Citing eyewitness reports and leaked internal memos, the party further alleged that these deaths are orchestrated by a "shadow command structure" loyal to Yunus, with the aim of spreading fear and crushing electoral resistance ahead of any future democratic transition.
Demanding urgent action, the Awami League has called for:
• A high-level judicial commission to investigate the deaths.
• Independent probe teams under the supervision of the Prime Minister’s Office.
• Involvement of international human rights observers, including UN affiliates, to ensure transparency.
“Under the moral leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, daughter of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the party will not allow the sacrifices of its members to be in vain,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, the international community and human rights organisations are closely monitoring the developments, as concerns grow over Bangladesh’s deteriorating political and custodial human rights conditions under the interim setup. The Awami League has vowed to intensify public awareness campaigns and legal battles to expose what it calls "a systemic and premeditated attack on democracy."