Bangladesh’s political tensions have reached a boiling point as the Yunus-led interim government intensifies its crackdown on opposition leaders and activists, drawing growing accusations of authoritarianism and political persecution. On Thursday night, former Awami League MP Saddam Hossain Pavel was arrested in a dramatic late-night raid in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur area, alongside seven other leaders and activists, on charges of “planning and financing subversive activities.”
Pavel, who represented the Nilphamari-3 constituency, was taken into custody around 10:45 pm on September 4. Others detained include local Jubo League and Chhatra League organisers, such as Tanzil Hossain Ovi, Anisur Rahman Hawlader, and AKM Khorshed Alam. The arrests are part of a wider campaign under which the interim government has filed over 80,000 politically motivated cases, detained more than 3,60,000 activists, and imprisoned at least 1,37,000 Awami League supporters without trial since assuming power on August 8, 2024.
The Awami League has condemned Pavel’s arrest, calling it an “orchestrated attempt” to decapitate the party’s leadership and cripple its organisational strength. “This is not about law and order,” said a senior party figure. “This is about dismantling the Awami League’s ability to resist an unconstitutional, unelected regime that has hijacked democracy.”
Despite an ongoing ban on political activities, the party’s defiance has only intensified. On Friday afternoon, September 5, Dhaka’s streets erupted as thousands of Awami League activists staged a flash rally under the banner of the Dhaka Metropolitan North Awami League. The procession began around 2 pm at Tejgaon’s Nabisco area and surged towards the Tibet intersection, defying heavy police deployment and risking arrest.
Witnesses described the scene as “electrifying” as demonstrators chanted slogans:
“Sheikh Hasina, Sheikh Hasina!”
“Sheikh Hasina will return, Bangladesh will smile!”
“Remove Yunus, save the country!”
“Joy Bangla, Joy Bangabandhu!”
According to eyewitness accounts, the crowd numbered nearly two thousand, with many joining spontaneously as the rally advanced. Security forces attempted to disperse the marchers, detaining several activists, including Niamul Hasan, a Chhatra League organiser from Tejgaon College.
This flash rally is part of a broader wave of coordinated protests despite escalating repression. In recent weeks, similar gatherings have taken place across Dhanmondi, Gulistan, and Baitul Mukarram, signalling the Awami League’s determination to reclaim political space.
Custodial Deaths and State-Sanctioned Repression
Pavel’s arrest comes amid alarming reports of human rights violations under the Yunus regime. At least 27 Awami League leaders and activists have died in police custody or prisons since the interim government took power. Among them is Saidur Rahman Sujan, Organising Secretary of Dhaka North District Swechchhasebak League, whose suspicious death was officially declared a “suicide,” despite his family finding no signs of hanging on his body.
Jail authorities continue to claim natural causes or suicides, while independent observers allege widespread torture and medical neglect. Many detainees are repeatedly denied bail, and trials are deliberately delayed to keep political opponents locked away indefinitely.
Rights groups warn of a climate of fear created by state-backed mobs that openly target Awami League members, looting homes and businesses while law enforcement turns a blind eye. Reports of rapes, forced disappearances, and summary executions are steadily mounting, while much of the violence remains underreported due to media censorship.
An Unelected Regime Losing Legitimacy
Dr. Muhammad Yunus, once celebrated globally for his Nobel-winning work in microfinance, now faces mounting criticism for presiding over what observers describe as a de facto authoritarian regime. The interim government, installed after Sheikh Hasina fled to India on August 5, 2024, was intended to oversee a democratic transition. Instead, it has unleashed a reign of terror unparalleled since Bangladesh’s birth.
European human rights bodies, including the South Asia Democratic Forum and Freedom and Justice Alliance, have condemned the “orchestrated mob attacks, arbitrary arrests, and judicial abuses” under the interim administration. Their joint statement warned that Bangladesh is in violation of Article 9 of the ICCPR, which prohibits arbitrary detention and guarantees the right to liberty and security.
“The Yunus government has turned Bangladesh into a state of fear,” said Paulo Casaca, former MEP and executive director of SADF. “Democratic expression is being systematically crushed. Without urgent intervention, the country risks sliding into chaos.”
The Road Ahead
As the streets of Dhaka continue to roar with slogans and defiance, the Yunus regime’s grip on power grows increasingly fragile. Arrests like that of Pavel, intended to intimidate, seem instead to have galvanised the Awami League’s base. Despite bans, detentions, and bloodshed, the spirit of resistance refuses to die.
With international scrutiny mounting and public anger intensifying, Bangladesh stands at a crossroads. The question is no longer whether Yunus can contain dissent — it is how far the interim government will go before its moral and political collapse becomes irreversible.
For now, every rally, every arrest, and every death draws a starker battle line: a people demanding their democracy versus a government clinging to power through fear
